In the eyes of many, legacies are created by the individuals who want to remember the accolades of one extraordinary person or group. By saying that, one can try to leave a legacy but ultimately, that is to be decided by the group who was directly impacted by that person or group’s actions. In my opinion a legacy cannot be left behind as a negative one, as that is simply referred to as a blemish or dark cloud in history that will not go away. For example, the attacks on September 11th by the terrorist group Al Qaeda, will always and forever be remembered by any American who was alive and able to watch the news or witness it in person.

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In no way should that be considered a legacy, such horror and destruction should be damned rather than be remembered. Legacies should be positive ones, they should be celebrated, a remembrance of an important event or person who positively inspired and left a lasting impact. Mahatma Gandhi was a true pioneer for nonviolence when he was constantly struggling for the freedom of his people, suffering attacks and even doubts from his family. It is acts like that that get positively remembered and get celebrated, not brutal attacks, that leave legacies behind.

In essence a legacy is left behind for people to remember the sacrifices and triumphs of a great men or women such as Mahatma Gandhi and others. September 11th, 2001 a day which will always have significance for those who experienced it firsthand or on some type of media. Al Qaeda is a terrorist group who orchestrated the inhumane attacks on civilians and government officials by hijacking airplanes and crashing them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania after the attempt was halted by those on board.

Sadly, this act of terror will always hit home because it is simply too hard to forget the sickening thought of mass murdering innocent people who had families, children, friends, and even coworkers. It is sad that the ones who lost their loved one will associate their death with a group of terrorists. Although it is hard to even consider but even this horrific event could be considered as a legacy that the group Al Qaeda will always be remembered. When someone brings the group up, 9/11 is almost always the first thing that comes to mind.

Naturally, one could say that this is not a legacy but the facts are all there, this group left a positive impact by something that they did. Inside the terrorist organization the members celebrated this event, they accomplished two thirds of their mission. So the events of September 11th could be considered as a legacy, even though many would not agree or consider one an American anymore. Terror was brought to New York City on the eleventh day of September 2001 and two things were created.

A new sense of patriotism by the nations’ youth, and in someways, a legacy. The patriotism was expressed by men and women who immediately enlisted in the various branches of military in order to do one thing, fight terrorism. Although many would disagree, the terrorists left their legacy behind by turning that quiet morning into another day that would live in infamy next to Pearl Harbor. The men who hijacked the airplanes has one thing in mind, to complete his mission so that he could be rewarded in his version of heaven.

In the eyes of his brothers, he left his legacy behind by flawlessly accomplishing his task at hand. Their brothers will always remember the great things he did for their terrorist organization, even though it put a huge target on their back. One would not say that killing innocent people is a great thing, but that is what the group has pleasure in doing, so in their eyes, it was a great thing. Now although this act would be more recognized as a scar in history, it is a legacy because it is an event that everyone will always remember.

On a somewhat brighter side, the actions of Mahatma Gandhi will always be remembered in a positive light and will no doubt will always be considered as a legacy. Gandhi will be remembered as the pioneer for negotiating using nonviolent and passive techniques. He was constantly denied by the Indian government which was controlled by the British at the time. Gandhi took constant hits and beatings which is unbelievable considering he was a man who graduated from a university in Britain.

Through all of this pain and oppression, he decided to go back to his roots, wearing the clothes he made and by fasting as his way of disagreeing with the British. After several months of constant pain and suffering, he finally got his wish, the British withdrew from India and the new Indian regime was up and running again. Gandhi will always be remembered as one of the greatest humanitarians of all time for his actions of non action. A legacy that any mother would be proud of.

Mahatma Gandhi will always be remembered as the man who inspired Martin Luther King Junior amongst many others. His acts of nonviolence have altered the way some react and retaliate in the face of oppression. “I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent. ” (Gandhi) This quote goes hand in hand with the definition of legacy, although passing away on a positive message will forever engrave one in the history books and the people will always remember the legacy one left behind.

Gandhi was a man who everyone could respect, he basically single-handedly turned around a country which had been an angry mob, into a peaceful protesting one that eventually cause the British to release the power of the country. All of Gandhi’s actions and sacrifices have earned him a legacy. Legacies should be, and will always be ones that leave a positive message. A positive message is one that directs people in the right direction, one that will always be remembered in a bright light.

Sure, one can rebuttal with a strong point of how acts of horror are legacies because we will always remember them. Indeed, one will remember them, but does that mean that they should be categorized as a legacy? The argument can go on and on, but in a world with so much pain and suffering, legacies should only be positive. People of the Earth should be striving to do well to leave their legacy and not take the easy way out and murder people just so that he can have his name in a newspaper. The world should celebrate the accomplishments of the good and not those of the bad.

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