All About America

I've just watched the footage of the planes crashing into the twin towers on September 11th. I remember it live, on the BBC, coming home from school in my brown uniform, fairly unsure of what the towers stood for or even where they were. I was just short of fourteen.

Now watching it as a trainee journalist, its well worn territory. The Freedom Tower awaits, all 1776ft of it (such empty symbolism, so American).

The devastation caused, the thick grey ash and black smoke, the falling debris, the blood and panic is still deeply upsetting. What strikes me now, is the deep polarisation between Western lives and Eastern beliefs, seven years on.

Bush's War on Terror has only exacerbated tensions. Hatred on both sides is still fervent. What happened that day was terrible, innocent lives were taken but what still remains is a deep resentment of the developed west.

Barack Obama is promising change, and I can't help but be swept up by him. America needs to become less isolated, but when many Americans still assume him to be a Muslim and are therefore prejudice against him, (Obama rhymes with Osama! His middle name is Hussein!), regretfully I'm not sure it's his time for the White House.