Yesterday, across the country and around the world, people remembered the cruel, vicious, unjustified, radical attacks on our nation on September 11, 2001. Make no mistake, we were attacked by radical Islamists just because of who we are.
All across the interwebz people were telling their stories, posting their memories, still, eighteen years later, trying to make some sense out of a senseless act.
The events of that day caused us to rally. We gathered in churches to pray. We stood in line to give blood. We few flags from our homes, from our vehicles.
From our hearts.
We vowed that it would change us forever. Perhaps it did.
We vowed that we would never forget. I’m not so sure we haven’t.
Perhaps yesterday gave us an opportunity to reflect, to remember. I hope so.
September 11, will always be one of those days. One of those days when people ask, “do you remember where you were? what you were doing?”
If you were a certain age, of course, you do. And you remember the days and weeks after when we lived in the fear of “what’s next?”
Funny how there are days that we’ll always remember. Days that we’ll always be able to point to and say “I remember.”
For me, I remember the day John F. Kennedy was shot. Yes, I was only five. But my brother came home early from school to tell us.
Likewise with the deaths of Bobby Kennedy and Dr. King.
There was the landing on the moon.
There was the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster.
There was the shooting at Virginia Tech.
All of these days we can point to and say “I remember.”
In the days following the 9/11 attack we were united as a nation, a little kinder, a little more respectful.
Eighteen years later all you have to do is spend fifteen minutes on Twitter to realize we’re not that people anymore.
No one wants another attack. No one wants to face September 11 again.
But it would be nice if, just one more time, we could be the people we were on September 12.
Another one of those days we should remember.