I was in sixth grade.
I was sitting at the lunch table with my friends, just talking amongst ourselves.
It seemed to be just like any other day,
until I heard student after student being called to the office for "early dismissal."
My sister and I, and my best friend were three of the very few who did not get dismissed that day.
What happened between then and when I got home is a blur.
I can remember
not knowing what was going on;
I can remember
being so confused;
I can remember
the tears in my mother's eyes
as she watched the news.
I can very, very clearly remember
watching the T.V. that night after dinner,
and feeling an overwhelming sense
Of loss.

I was ten years old,
but I can remember
tragically watching our buildings burn.
I remember
seeing people jumping out of buildings
and falling to their deaths.
I remember
the clouds of smoke
that hung so heavy in the air
and that you could barely see anything
but rubble
and turmoil
and death.

But it was that day
at such a young age,
I would learn:
We are
The United States of America
and we proved
on that day
That "United We Stand"
is not just a phrase
that our country
throws around lightly.

The men and women
that were at Ground Zero that day
and the months that would follow
will forever remain
Unsung Heroes
in the hearts of every single American
that was alive on
September 11th, 2001,
and the generations to come
forever.

*Where were you, when the world stopped turning?

America is the Land of the Free.
People can be who they want to truly be,
so I welcome all to inspect our society.

It’s perfect as long as one causes no fuss;
only hear what is mellifluous;
only see what is marvelous.

But if one really sees–
if one should look beyond the beautiful seam–
one can gaze upon the problems of our society.

Ask a teenager, some of the most opinionated beings alive,
and find out on what our society really thrives.
Ask a teen how they see the Land of the Free throughout their lives.

Teenagers are depressed.
Students are stressed.

Students study hard, work hard, and all for naught
for all the business’s doors have already been locked.

Society tells people to express themselves and their opinions;
as long as it follows these guidelines and remains in this general thought dominion.

People will hate
on what you wear or on your weight.

Children no longer learn about how to love,
only about how to avoid *** and drugs.

Education is viewed as a privilege, not available to all children born,
when, in a place as plentiful as this, it should really be the norm.

So, I ask, Fair Inspector, is America really Land of the Free
with still so much wrong with our society?