The German-American exchange program had been going on in my high school for a very long time. Every other year the Germans would come to our school and every other year the Americans went to Germany. In September of 2001 a group of German students were scheduled for a stay of 3 weeks. After September 11th their arrival was delayed a few months, but they still came. The next year, my junior year, it was my school's turn to go to Germany. The whole class was wound up about the trip, but we all had a feeling it might not happen.
             There were several meetings with the board of education, our parents and teachers; all warning us about the risks of a terrorist attack and the danger of the current world situation. At the last board meeting there was a final vote that would decide if we would be allowed to go or not. All of the students scheduled to go on the trip came to the meeting and stated their case to the board. It was clear the superintendent did not want us to go. It was his first year in the position and he wasn't in a rush to approve anything that might jeopardize his job. He tried to justify his vote against the trip by saying, "I think of you all as I would my own children. I wouldn't put them in a dangerous situation and I don't want to put you in one either."
             We all knew his real motives; he was just covering his own butt. He wanted to get re-elected the next year and didn't want to put his position in danger. There was even a parent there, who didn't have a student going on the trip, who basically said, "If something happens to these kids and the school gets sued that money is going to come out of my taxes and that is money taken away from my child." Everyone in the room was just shocked, but the meeting progressed and the vote was taken. The superintendent was over-ruled and the trip was scheduled for February 7th, 2003.
             In the next few months leading up to the trip my...