Blanquita en españa

On March 11th 2004 Elena, my Spanish sister, was in Señora Rodriguez math class about to begin an exam. My friend Samu was in Madrid walking above a train station on his way to class when an earthquake like vibration awoke all of Madrid. Terror and Panic struck heart of the country, shifting the pace lives throughout Spain. Everyone remembers where he or she was and what he or she was doing on 9/11. The blank confused look painted on faces with one question racing through everybody’s mind, “what happens next?” The same numb sensation is what all of Spain was struck with March 11th, 2004.

Exactly 911 days after the attack on the twin towers, 11-M took place. At 7:30 AM March 11, during the peak of the morning work rush, a series of bombs echoed in extensive metro system throughout Madrid. This event forced Spain to adapt their approach on national security.

While driving to the grocery store, our car was stopped by the state police. There was a control check set up between where we were, and where we wanted to go. Every car was not stopped, only the ones that the police thought to be suspicious. The car was searched and everyone’s information was run through the police computer system. This was not the first time it happened. Every trip to Madrid or any major city, there is a police barricade serving as a safe guard for the city.

It is the European way to pull out “the polite filter” between the mind and mouth. Everyone is overly blunt and open about what he or she thinks and how they feel. No one stops to think if what they are about to say will hurt your feelings, because everyone has thick European skin. This mannerism translates into how the law handles homeland security. In Spain, when the police case profile, citizens don’t respond with thoughts of a violation of their rights. Feelings aside, Spain continues to take initiative in response to 11-M.