B2 Rihla #1

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1) The author's argument as to why Jay-Z's album sold so well during the week of 9/11 is that the youth at that time, who were awaiting the album's release, were not so greatly affected as the older people were. "The national tragedy" didn't affect the youth as much, which is why people were still shopping in music stores in New York city.

2) I don't agree with what the author says about about young people and tragedies. Young people, in fact, are affected tremendously by national tragedies, but don't show their real emotions mostly because we feel like there is nothing we can do. Tragedies such as 9/11 affect the whole world, not just New York City, so as young people, we tend to feel unable to fix such a problem.

3) I think it is important for those young people from 9/11 to start reflecting critically on the effects that 9/11 has on today's world. They experienced a horrible tragedy, one that will not and cannot be forgotten. As witnesses of the even, the young people, who are now a little older, can speak out and try to help those who are now trying to prevent such a tragedy to happen again.

4) Young people in Afghanistan don't remember much about the attacks on 9/11, but from what they do recall, they only remember a plane that crashed into a building and a little about Bin Laden. Some remember that Bin Laden killed many people in America, but that is pretty much it. I can see that history isn't taught with advance as in the United States.

5) The young adults interviewed differ on their opinion about Americans in two ways: some say American forces have helped a lot regarding the country's security. Others talk about the effects of the Taliban and how they created a dangerous environment. For the most part, the young adults that were interviewed agree that American forces increase the security in Afghanistan and provide people safety from the Taliban. Some want the "Americans" to stay and keep on helping the people if Afghanistan.

6) Truthfully, I always think about how other countries perceive the United States to be. When I travel to Mexico, I see the differences from the two countries and wonder how Mexicans perceive the United States to be, since many of them have never personally seen the country. I guess this is true for other people in other countries; they wonder how the United States is like and ask themselves whether it is a helpful or harmful country towards others. This makes me want to learn even more about people and events in world history. I want to know the effects the United States has created and how other countries see them as either good or bad. I want to know more about important people, and what is going on through their mind when they make decisions, such as Bin Laden's thoughts.

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