My 2 Cents: Literature of 9-11 Class At UNC

Do you realize the freshmen strolling into college classrooms for the first time were just 4 years old when terrorists attacked and killed thousands of civilians on September 11?

What do you think those children remember of that day?  Not much, if anything.

They don't remember the fear Americans felt wondering if there were more attacks coming, the horror of the Twin Towers collapsing or the the shock of seeing Pentagon on fire.

So it really bothers me that freshmen at the University of North Carolina are enrolling in an English class called "Literature of 9-11."

Now hold on, this syllabus says they will explore a diverse array of themes related to 9-11.

But apparently that doesn't include the perspective of the victims of the attacks or their families.

It focuses primarily on the writings of people who see America as imperialistic and greedy.

I read a few of the required readings, and the authors do work awfully hard at justifying the actions of the terrorists by pointing to supposed American misdeeds around the world.

One I read focuses on the perspective of a Middle Eastern man living in the U.S. suddenly under a cloud of suspicion on 9-11 and the hardship he suffered, that's a valid discussion.

And I'm for diversity of thought on campus, but this class at North Carolina appears to be giving a lopsided view of the day thousands of American citizens were slaughtered.

I'm Kelly Ogle and that's My 2 Cents.