AsToldByGinger, 9/11

 

The front page of the New York Times, on Sept 12th 2001

     As I sat down to write this blog, and realized it was for the post class of 9/11, the entirety of life since 9/11 came to mind, and how so many signs have changed since then relating to the DeSaussure readings. Before that dreadful day in 2001, the World Trade Centers were the focal point of the massive New York City skyline; they represented the finical capital of the world, american progress, dominance, and freedom. When people thought of New York, they thought of those twin towers. Airport travel was never something scary or a hassle, you went through security and arrived safely at your destination. There were no worries about bringing shampoo's or other liquids on the plane, what shoes you wore though security, or having your entire body scanned before you were allowed to go to your gate.

     Since the collapse of the World Trade Centers though, everything has changed. The signifier of the buildings, now signifies: terrorism, war, death, enemy, the Middle East, etc. instead of the patriotic symbol it once was. Since then, the entire American way, and the world has changed. Airports are an area on high alert, and unfortunately many are judgmental of any person dressed in Muslim attire. The government has since installed a homeland security advisory system in which there are different colors that tie the level of security threat to rising categories; which now people traveling through airports recognize the sign, and know upon seeing it, what each color means. DeSaussure said, "language is a system of interdependent terms in which the value of each term results solely from the simultaneous presence of the others" (7). This thought applies to the homeland security sign in which each levels understanding is based solely on the understanding of what the others mean.