ESCANABA -- "I remember I heard about it after my mom came to pick me up after school,” explains Escanaba High School junior, Phil Shields. “She was upset, and she told me what happened. I didn't even know what the Twin Towers were."
But flash forward a decade later.
Government teacher, Jim DeGrand, talked to his students today about the impact of Osama bin Laden's death. The war may not be over just yet, but it's certainly a momentous victory for the U.S.
And how do these teens feel?
“I didn't think we'd capture him after ten years," said junior, Carter Murray.
Other students, like senior Michelle Wood, had mixed emotions.
“To be happy for someone's death is really hard for me,” said Wood. “And yet you think of all the innocent people that he had killed."
DeGrand said these classroom discussions give the students a broader picture of their world.
“I think that they did have a general sense that yes, this was very significant,” said DeGrand.
And the teens said they do feel that America, and the world, is a little safer.
“Well, 9-11 affected everybody,” Murray said. “I mean, that's the whole point of getting Osama bin Laden. It’s to bring resolution, compensation to the families."
It's a day these students aren't likely to forget. Their generation's dreaded face of terrorism is dead. And they say they’re determined to stay informed through social media sites, the news, and classroom discussion.
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