“Statue of Liberty with background view of burning World Trade Center”, a photograph taken by an employee of the National Park Service, is a powerful image of the New York City skyline taken just moments after the second plane hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center. On the surface, this brutal image shows the scale and severity of the largest terrorist attack ever on our nation’s soil. The NPS’s single frame containing the Statue of Liberty and NYC’s smoky skyline creates a clear and general message of the price of freedom in the United States. When looking deeper into the specifics of this photograph, the unique camera angle and broad range of this photograph provide a unique representation of our nations core values and resilience.

Tragedy struck this major metropolitan city on a beautifully sunny day in early September. On the surface, the shot captures the enormity and position of the terrorist attack. The Twin Towers of the WTC stand tall in the heart of our nation’s most important city. The broad scope shows smoke billowing from the omnipotent buildings that can be seen from many miles away. In the foreground, the Statue of Liberty stands tall while witnessing the chaos unfold in the city. This iconic symbol of freedom has welcomed immigrants coming through Ellis Island for around sixty years. Lady Liberty now has an unusual sight on the horizon. She is now bearing witness to the price we sometimes pay for the opportunities we provide. Al-Qaida’s terrorist did indeed send a strong message. By killing thousands of innocent civilians, their ruthless attack shook our country to its very foundation. This tragic piece of our nation’s history is well documented and most September 11th photos have a common theme of capturing the damage, death, and dismay of that day. Very few have the deep elements such as this skyline provides. This image does not show the blood of those injured or the heroes running into the tower to save their fellow citizens. Instead, this image is literally and figuratively a part of the bigger picture. 

 New York City is a port to one of the greatest financial centers in the world. It is a destination and an icon of our nation’s values and international power. To many, the Big Apple is a symbol of what is so amazing about this country. Terrorists carried out a coordinated attack and used New York City as one of their targets to essentially hit America in the heart. Their aim was to crumble our nation’s sense of stability and power. The attackers boarded several different planes in different cities early that morning, hijacked them and carried out a suicide mission killing thousands of people. Two planes hit the towers while others were targeting our capital in Washington D.C. Employees of some of our greatest financial institutions met a fiery death. Some even took their own lives by jumping out windows to avoid their fate and to take control of it themselves. Onlookers were forced to watch the terrifying scene. It will go down in history as the worst terrorist attack on our soil. What makes this photo special is that the camera angle makes the Statue of Liberty stand taller than the burning towers in the background. Lady Liberty is not blurred by the smoke or altered by the attack. It shows her still standing tall and still representing our freedom even when it looks like life, as we know it, could be crumbling down. The broad scope doesn’t just focus on the burning towers, there is much more to the United States than a single day of vulnerability. Lady Liberty stands for our freedom. What happened in the city in the days and weeks following these events proves that Americans are going to stand together in the face of tragedy despite our differences. From this angle, one can look at the city surrounding the burning the towers and come to a realization that most of the city is not touched. Life does go on from this point and we can view it as a step toward our betterment. We found the means and motivation to change our national security and become stronger than ever. The present day status of the United States of America is more financially and militarily stable than before. Our national progress endures because 9/11 taught Americans a lot about our freedoms, national security and about the ability to carry on for a better tomorrow. 

The terrorist attack on September 11th, 2001 sent a message that freedom in America does, at times, come with a price. At a glance, this photo shows weakness and failure. However, with a broader view the image shows a deeper look into what this country is really about. The Statue of liberty stands taller than our tallest buildings that have met a fiery death and she looks beyond all of the damage to stay strong. Her torch is not lowered and speaks to the wind as the smoke flies away from her.  She shows a different form of strength. This strength comes from being knocked down and through it all being able to rise again. Sometimes it takes terror and mass adversity to learn how to become stronger as a nation. It is a reminder we are in this together and together we are undaunted. This photo’s angle and scope created something much bigger than a snapshot of an important day; it created a symbol of hope for the future of our country.
