Throughout the past six years, there has been widespread discussion concerning the events of Sept. 11, 2001. I have objectively examined the 9/11 Commission Report, as well as many other independent reports concerning the same issue. Every American should do the same. Sept. 11 is the most influential event in recent world history, and it is our duty as citizens of the United States to ensure that all pieces of evidence are examined and all possibilities explored.

Consider for a moment what happens when a murder has taken place. There is an ensuing investigation into what happened. In a proper investigation, all sides of an incident are explored — no matter how unlikely a theory may be or who it may implicate. Take the example of a teenage girl found murdered in her home. A detective would certainly not exclude her parents as possible suspects simply because they are her parents. The same logic should follow with any investigation.

Sadly, this logic was not followed in the investigation of the events of Sept. 11. The 9/11 Commission disregarded and ignored vast amounts of evidence and testimony. If a person were to research 9/11 from an objective standpoint, it would quickly become obvious why the official report of the 9/11 Commission is questioned by so many.

That the investigation of 9/11 did not explore any possibility of government, military or other clandestine U.S. involvement is inexcusable. While U.S. government involvement may seem like an unlikely possibility, it is a possibility nonetheless, especially since it would not be the first time in history that a government was involved in a "false flag" operation. The possibility of government involvement should never be ignored.

Even the manner in which the 9/11 Commission was formed is an enormous failure and injustice to all those who lost their lives on Sept. 11. Instead of organizing an expansive, formal, in-depth investigation immediately following the attacks, the 9/11 Commission was formed more than a year later. The White House originally opposed forming a 9/11 Commission and did so only after intense pressure from victims' families. The commission's investigation was not nearly expansive enough and ended up costing only a third as much as the Clinton and Whitewater investigations combined. The White House was also highly resistant to 9/11 Commission requests during the investigation.

Additionally, a small panel of 14 government officials — appointed by Congress and the president — should not have been the only ones conducting the investigation. Instead, a much broader panel of independent, scholarly professionals from various backgrounds should have been summoned to carry out the investigation.

If there is even a shred of evidence that the U.S. government was involved in the Sept. 11 attacks, then that possibility must be investigated. Like any other investigation, all aspects and possibilities must be explored and exhausted before any objective conclusion can be reached. The investigation by the 9/11 Commission was extremely inadequate, poorly funded and irresponsibly orchestrated. Too much evidence has been ignored, and too many questions have gone unanswered. There must be another investigation of Sept. 11. For you, the truth of what happened on Sept. 11 cannot be dictated by me, the government or anyone else. The truth must be recognized through your own objective understanding.

Jesse Allhands ([email protected]) is a University of Wisconsin senior majoring in German, political science and European studies.