September 11, 2001 was a defining moment in history; a date which has forever changed the landscape in which we live, work, travel, and look at our neighbor and wage war and peace. The question, where were you on 9/11, is one that makes us pause, think and feel as we relive that day.

September 11, 2001, led to a declaration of war; the” war on terrorism”, which has led to America’s embrace of an endless war, in which few anywhere are completely safe. War used to be an aberration. Today it is a way of life that has turned the 21^st century into one of persistent conflict. Fueled by radical ideologies, new technologies and homemade weapons, the rules of war have changed.  Our economy has foundered as we put our money into this war, ignoring our infrastructure and social responsibilities.

9/11, led to a personal turning point for me and eventually an odyssey to produce a documentary on the history of terrorism, Al Qaeda and what led to 9/11. Trail by fire, slim budget, my first documentary-   incredible chutzpah- and The Roots of War… the Road to Peace was created- 2006. And protested, days before it was to air on the PBS station our TV program had been on for 16 some- odd years, as unfairly representing Muslims and Islamic ideologies, among other things.

Ultimatums are not palatable, they don’t sit well with me, and my journey to assure it would get aired began. Half a dozen trips to the Middle East and North Africa, hundreds of interviews and conversations, much study, and perhaps a more open and informed mindset, The Roots of War… The Road to Peace finally aired in June of 2009.

Come along for the journey and the stories of the impact 9/11 had on my life.

• Click Here to read the full story & watch both the Aired & Original versions of The Roots of War…the Road to Peace.

Below is an excerpt from the article featuring Niki McCuistion.  Click here for the complete PDF on the McCuistion Program after 500 episodes.

Niki Nicastro grew up a “Nu Yawker” in a family of college professors and journalists. Her plan was to follow one of these career paths, too, but that future never quite materialized. Married young, with two children—and now five grandchildren—she sold insurance and commercial real estate, moving south to Atlanta just in time to get in on the boom that made suburban Gwinnett County the fastest-growing spot in the country for a while.

Her next move was west to San Diego, and it coincided with a significant career shift. She had moved from selling tangibles, real estate, to selling intangibles, ideas, and had become very active in the National Speakers Association. Speaking out was the connection that brought Dennis and Niki together for the first time in 1983 at a speaker’s workshop in San Francisco.

This retrospective episode entertains and informs as it gives us a very interesting snapshot of the new world of media and communication, a world that through its ever changing evolution leaves many of us struggling to keep up.

View This Episode: 20 Years of McCuistion: Media and the Internet at McCuistion TV