Remembering 9/11

This video focuses not just on 9/11, but on the general sense of 'community' that came out of the event. As well as the expected clips and photos from the attacks it uses patriotic and emotional imagery of soldiers, Americans wrapped in the flag, and of the 'reconstruction' process the U.S went through after the attacks (the ground zero site rebuild, and lights shone in remembrance). It suggests that as awful as the attacks word the nation (as the song chosen suggests) proud to be American, and 'free'. Many saw the attacks on the world trade centers and the pentagon as an attack on American freedom, and thus the famous song chosen (God Bless The USA) and the imagery reflects that Americans wanted to show unity and strength after the attack. The generic 'smiling' people surrounded by the flag imply this. The strong link between the attack and the need of religion and God is highlighted, besides the title and the song there is also some subtle religious imagery in the clips- at 2.08 the flag has a cross of light in the corner, and the candle at 2.51 is relgious church like iconography.

The writing at the end of the video- 'Never forget, Never surrender' is interesting. It is reminiscent of war type speech's, surrender taken in either a military sense or in the sense of never surrendering freedom, however I feel the maker of the video was implying the first. Since the event the war on terror and 9/11 has been linked almost indistinguishably, and the 'never surrender' I assume is a reference that America does not 'forget'; rather than surrenders it wages war against the perpetrators of the attacks (or rather the perceived perpetrators.)