Crisis and tragedy seem to bring out the very best and worst in people

As terrorists struck Paris on Friday, like many Americans, I thought back to what happened on our soil 14 years ago. While I was only 20-years-old at the time of the 9/11 attacks and quite ignorant and indifferent to the world of politics, I'll never forget that day, and the days, weeks, and months thereafter.

I was in college at the time, a night owl, and insistent on taking classes during the afternoon hours so I could maintain my atypical sleeping habits. Just as the Twin Towers were struck, my father raced to my room, woke me up, and told me something was transpiring which I had to see. When I first saw video showcasing the attacks, I was left speechless, perplexed, frightened, and wondering if I was still sleeping and experiencing a surreal nightmare of the worst kind. Unfortunately, as I fully awoke, I started to realize it was no dream, no film; it was real.

The surreal sensation I experienced initially never fully escaped me. Here I was, a 20-year-old college student, living in Omaha, Nebraska, seeing a part of the country I'd never visited before attacked. While it was horrifying, I still wanted to deny the reality of the situation. I can only imagine what New Yorkers felt that day and wish no one had to ever experience and/or witness such awful events.

In the coming days, weeks, and months, feeling both ignorant and helpless regarding the tragic events which unfolded in my own country, I felt a desire to research, learn, and try to get more involved. One thing I did learn was crisis and tragedy often times bring out the very best and worst in people. So many New Yorkers sacrificed their own health and well being in an attempt save human life. They didn't pause to think, "What could the possible consequences be if I did this?" No, they just went in there and did it, doing everything in their power to save one of their brothers or sisters. For as awful as that time was, I haven't seen many more inspiring acts of selflessness and bravery than the men and women in New York on that tragic day (and in the days, weeks, and months to follow).

Following that attack, most in this country set aside partisan differences. Our world was shaken at its core and no longer were we bickering about Roe v. Wade, LGBT rights, etc., labeling one another in an insulting and condescending manner. No, on that day, and in the days that followed, we looked at one another, held hands, and simply called ourselves Americans. 

As there were some positives which resulted from the attacks, however, there were some negatives as well. While crisis and tragedy can certainly bring people together, they can also divide certain demographics, largely due to prejudice. When such events occur, it's quite common to want to point the finger at someone (or a group) and cast blame. While this might make sense if we simply look at the few individuals responsible for the attacks, many decide to cast blame on an entire group of which these individuals were a part. In the case of the 9/11 attacks, that group happened to be Muslims.

This was again the case following the attacks in Paris on Friday. While many have expressed grief, sympathy, and solidarity with France, others have used the events to paint all Muslims as extremists and the religion of Islam to be one centered around hatred and violence, some going as far to say mosques should no longer be allowed in this country. When such tempting thoughts may come our way, I think it's important to remember that extremists reside in every political party and religion, yet only a sliver of those groups could be labeled as such, and the entire group should not be seen as a direct reflection of those very extremists. When a Christian goes on a shooting rampage, claiming he was on a mission from God, should all Christians then be seen as a reflection of this extremist? No. The same goes for members of the Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, and other religious communities. While Muslim extremists should be feared and prevented from following through with their violent missions, that holds true for extremists of all stripes, and we mustn't let fear and prejudice trump the ideals and Constitution of this country, which allows people to believe and worship what they so choose without fear of discrimination or persecution. Let's use such tragic events to lift one another up, not tear each other down.

If you're interested in donating money to the French Red Cross or finding other ways to lend a helping hand, go to this link: http://www.refinery29.com/2015/11/97679/help-paris-terror-victims-support#slide