Much like December 7th, 1941 was for those of that generation, September 11th, 2001 is a day that anyone old enough to remember will never forget. And I don’t mean generally “remember” and have flashes of television images. I mean remember every minute detail of the day - where they first saw the news, how they reacted and more. It may have been an attack on America but it was felt around the world as those from friendly nations poured out their condolences, sympathies and support. A month later, it was felt a bit more specifically by those who housed, supported or sympathized with those who attacked our nation.
Where were you when the world stopped turning, that September day? (Alan Jackson)
Do you remember where you were and the exact circumstances of how you were notified? Many folks remember it clearly. For some, they had the news on and after the first plane struck the World Trade Center, that was front and center of most news coverage. So that’s where eyes were glued already when the second plane struck and when Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania and when the Pentagon was hit.
For hours after that, we as a nation watched as our countrymen and women responded to the attacks. We watched as heroic first responders rescued people and led them to safety. We watched as they died continuing their efforts to rescue more. We watched our fellow citizens leap from impossible heights to escape the hellish inferno of the burning buildings. We watched other citizens appear from within clouds of concrete and chemical dust, the only parts of their skin not powdered white where their tears streaked their cheeks.
We went home from work early, often in a commute that was hours long instead of the minutes it usually was. We took our children out of school early so that we could hold them and comfort them... and take comfort from the fact of their safety, something we suddenly weren’t so sure about. Some kept their children home for several days, worried that the attacks were simply an opening gesture and waiting for the next stroke from an enemy too many knew too little about.
We flew the American flag, we donated blood, we bonded with neighbors and made emergency plans we probably should have had all along but that seemed paranoid in the reality that existed on September 10th, 2001. What a difference a day makes.
Here we are, seventeen years later and our country seems so very different than it did in those days and weeks of September and October 2001. To use the words of Darryl Worley:
Have you forgotten how it felt that day
To see our homeland under fire
And her people blown away.
I haven’t forgotten and I hope I never forget. Our nation came together as one people. The racial divide that seems all too prominent today was forgotten. The debate of kneeling in protest, standing for the National Anthem, gun control... it was all forgotten. We were all, each and every one of us, American. We were proud to be American and to stand together as one against a faceless enemy. We were proud and supportive of our military personnel - all of them. It didn’t matter what branch of service they were in, nor if they were active duty, reservists or National Guard; they were wearing the uniform of those who protect and defend our nation and they were both appreciated and honored for that. We were sympathetic to the losses of our law enforcement, firefighting and emergency medical agencies and appreciative of their service and sacrifice.
So... as I sit and remember the events of that horrific day and then I swell with pride at how our nation responded - both at the government level and as a people - I have to wonder: what happened? How are we so divided today? In a country that stood so strong and united 17 years ago, how have we gotten to the point where our law enforcement professionals are being shown little to no appreciation and being severely shackled (figuratively speaking) in the performance of their duties? How do we have people debating whether or not to stand for the National Anthem? How do we have people complaining about oppression in the one nation on earth that offers opportunity equally to anyone who will simply motivate themselves enough to step up and take advantage of it?
We, collectively as a nation, are better than this. We’ve proven it. We united and responded in unimaginable ways on the days following September 11th, 2001. We ignored race, gender, age, appearance, education level and more. We stopped, at least for a brief time, identifying ourselves as anything hyphenated and were simply American.
And you know what is the ultimate cool thing about that? America as a nation is only as strong as, and draws her strength from, us - Americans. It took the country days if not weeks to respond to the attacks of 9-11 on a national level. It took first responders minutes and they spent hours. Those responders were Americans... dedicated to doing their duty, serving their fellow citizens and some folks who weren’t. It was Americans on Flight 93 that took preemptive action and prevented a potentially much larger tragedy.
In honor of September 11th, 2001 and all that we lost; in honor of all those who immediately stepped up and sacrificed to serve; in honor of the unity we all felt in the days and weeks after that event, I call on you to do the same thing again: Unite. Be American. Recognize the grandeur that is our nation and feel the pride that comes with it. Display that pride. Fly your flag. Wear your red, white and blue. Stand for and Sing Loudly the National Anthem. Thank a service member. Thank a police officer. Thank a deputy. Thank a firefighter. Thank an EMT or a paramedic.
Stop and remember the events of that terrible day; never forget but don’t dwell on them. Dwell on the way our nation came together, swollen with pride and united as one without consideration for all the divisive labels and lines. Just be American and be proud.
