September 11

Max Fucci

10/21/05

Dr. Elmore

Version #1

Patriotic Advertisements and Our Society

September 11 was a significant event in our nation's history. Many people perished in the collapse of the Twin Towers. These events brought about much grief as well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The United We Stand advertisements were released after the tragic events of September 11 to calm the nation. They were a message to America that said that no matter what event we undergo as a nation, we will always stay strong and work together in order to bounce back from it.

September 11 was one of the biggest tragedies of my generation. The patriotic advertisements that came out after this event had an impact on me because I live in Manhattan and I was greatly affected by this event. Friends and loved ones perished in this human genocide and I will never forget them. Whenever I see ads or pictures from this horrid event in our nation's history I begin to recall things that I experienced. It brings back emotions including shock, sadness, dismay and pride in the American people's unity and resilience. September 11 is one of those memories where one can remember every single event from that day. It was the first day of high school, first period, and I was ironically in religion class. At 9:15 a.m., the city experienced this tragedy and basically shut down. The rest of the week was just not the same. There was a somewhat eerie tone that seemed to conjure within everyone. However, the people of New York began to work hard with the help of people from all over the world to get back on track. Firefighters, police officers, and EMS workers were idolized and shown appreciation in the ads for what went on that day.

The death toll on this day was one of the largest our nation has seen. The victims included firefighters, policemen, and civilians. Table 1 displays the estimated death toll and all of the death certificates that were issued.

Table 1

Due to all of the loss of life that the FDNY (Fire Department of New York) and the NYPD (New York Police Department) sustained, especially the FDNY, the United We Stand ad campaign featured these public servants in full uniform in the ads to represent heroism.

Fig. 1

In Fig. 1, one can see a picture of a fireman in front of a cross standing in debris, which is up to his knees. This particular cross was made out of beams from what was left of the two towers. There is a mist of dust from the collapse of the towers around the area where the fireman is standing. This cross was made for all those who died in the attacks. It is a Christian symbol that gives hope to the people of New York as well as displays that in the midst of all of the debris and tragedy that we as a people will overcome.

One of the main issues that arose was the increase in PTSD as well as other mental health problems. People who witnessed these horrifying events first hand were affected the most. Table 2 displays a chart of those diagnosed with PTSD and depression within two communities. With PTSD sinking in after the attacks, there was an increase in the amount of patients treated and the amount of medication issued to patients. The month following September 11 was traumatizing. People were still nervous about being attacked again because there was an increase in the amount of bomb threats in the following months. One survey was done in October of 2001 and the other was in January of 2002.

Table 2

As one can see, there is a significant decrease in PTSD and depression between these months. The reason for this could be that the shock was starting to die down with the help and reassurance of the patriotic ads our government and society were publishing. Table 3 displays the percentage increase in mental health visits and psychiatric medications issued both thirty days before and thirty days after September 11.

Table 3

As one can see from the graph, there is an increase in both categories post September 11. This was a recurring theme in New York as well as around the country because so many loved ones were lost.

Fig. 2 Fig. 3

United We Stand was a very moving and emotional advertisement campaign. It impacted many New Yorkers as well as other people across the nation and the world. There were posters all over the city as well as magazine and television ads. Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 are two examples of the patriotic advertisements that were introduced. As one can see, the ads depict the towers the way that they should be, standing tall and erect. Each ad has the towers with an American flag somewhere in the picture. In Fig. 2 the flag is draped over the towers and in Fig. 3 it was made somewhat transparent in front of the towers. This image also includes a picture of the bald eagle and a cross, which the picture on the left lacks. However, Fig. 2 has the American flag in color, the only color on the page while Fig. 3 lacks color in general. These ads symbolize our national grief and aim to stimulate national unity. They convey the message so that nobody should ever forget what once was.

Gender and race are two subjects that are dealt with in all advertisements. In the past, men were generally