When 9/11 happened, I was young - much too young to comprehend what was happening. All I remember is watching two towers going down on tv whilst my dad and elder sister look on in horror. Many years later, I would piece the bits of the event together. This piece is not to relate the how the tragic drama played out. Rather, in a few words, I wish to point a few of the lessons I learnt from it - lessons which I feel would be invaluable to everyone.
1. Never be too high handed (even when in a position of strength): Today, many experts freely admit that America's first sin after the event was the high handedness with which it handled matters. Immediately after the incident, it had the sympathy of the whole world. Mourning processions walked in major cities of many countries. Three years later, the processions which moved around the cities of countries were not those of mourners but protesters shouting the hearts out and bearing photos of prisoners being totured by US forces. The sympathy it enjoyed was long gone. How did things turn around so fast I hear you ask? Well, it is not too difficult to answer, is it? In going after the terrorists (a rag tag group of semi trained men bearing RPGs and AK47s), the US employed less surgical techniques and was less careful. It was confident that its firepower was enough. Today, we know better.
2. Fighting Idealogues is a Collective Duty: What has never stopped to amaze me in today's world is the pervasiveness of the belief that radical beliefs can be fought by a section of the society, however large that section is. When 9/11 happened, many in the world had a victim ready in their minds - muslims. Scholars today agree that that is an error - one that would later result in a paroxysm of preventable violence. Whenever any radical and fanatical group emerge, the duty of stopping it is on everyone, whoever you are, wherever you are.
3. Live and Let Live: Although much ink has been spilt on this one, it can never be overemphasized. The world has always and will always be filled with people who see it in a way that is different from the way you see it. However hard you try, that diversity will never change. The onus is on you to spend the few years you have the best way you can.
These are just some lessons I learnt from the day the terrorists themselves describe this way "two sticks, a dash and a cake with a stick down". Did you learn anything from that gloomy day? Please share it.

You should ask that Question to Americans...We Nigerians have enough on our plate already

Ahmad62:
You should ask that Question to Americans...We Nigerians have enough on our plate already

I posted half the piece earlier mistakenly. Please read the full one and see how it affects you. I would love to hear your opinion.