I'm sad

"I will never forget the attack on the twin towers in New York City - even when I am 30 years old because I just visited there three weeks ago. My parents said it was the worst thing that ever happened in their lifetime. So many innocent people died. We went to assembly and prayed for the victims and for peace. "

The words of this eight-year-old echo sentiments expressed around the world by people of all ages since the tragic, surreal events of September 11, 2001. Since that date, Jamaican children, many of whom have relatives in New York, have been glued to their TV sets. A number of children explained that they had never watched CNN as much and that they had now learned where Afghanistan was. They talk about the tragedy with their friends and families because they fear that it might be the beginning of World War III. A war they have heard "will be different, with different ways of fighting - an intelligence war." They draw American flags in their exercise books and write 'I love America' to show their support for a country so closely tied to their own. A country they see as "a great place", a "place they love to visit," a place that is "big and strong", filled with "intelligent people and lots of technology." They are scared and saddened by what they have seen and heard. Some, like nine-year-old Sasha, fear that this "evil act" could happen to them: "someone could come and drop a great big bomb on Jamaica." However, others, like 10-year-old Andre explain, "Jamaica safe because it not rich. What did happen to America was because people hate America because it is so rich."

Jamaica's children hope that America will build back the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and send a message of peace to the world. Ten-year-old Wayne summarised, "America is a strong country, they won't let this get them down. "Eleven-year-old Jamie and twelve-year-old Joseph added their hopes for a world of peace and harmony: "The Americans should sort this out once and for all. Everybody has meanness in them, but everybody also has goodness and they should use that goodness and most of all trust in God that better times will come." And 9-year-old Tanya earnestly stated, reflecting wisdom beyond her years, "I hope America will not fight evil with evil, and they will try to live in peace so no more people have to rest in peace."

­ Rebecca Tortello