Remembering 9/11 22 Years Later
Every year we look back in our memories at the events of September 11th, 2001. The more time that passes, the less impact the memories can have; the less impact the images we see online and on television seem to have. There’s nothing wrong with that. Time heals all wounds. That said, should the impact be lessened over time? We, the collective United States, suffered the unimaginable that morning and, unlike the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, it was broadcast live on international television. While the country read about Pearl Harbor and saw images after the fact on television, on September 11th, 2001, the country watched in horror as planes were used as attack craft, killing Americans… live, on television. We didn’t see it after it occurred. We didn’t hear about it after it was over. America watched and wondered what could be done to stop it… if anything.
Now, 22 years later, those of us old enough to have watched it as it occurred, have clear memories of the events, and can still feel the horror and pain we felt that morning. The younger generations don’t have the same memories, and that’s a mixed blessing for them. Those of us with the memories and knowing who committed the attacks and why they did so, can understand and appreciate why America declared war one month later. Younger generations, exposed to the plethora of conspiracy theories, feel-good platitudes and “can’t we all just get along” philosophies, may not feel the same sense of being wronged… of being attacked as those of us who are old enough to have seen the attacks live.
So what should we do with those memories? How do we manage the pain we still feel as we experience them? How should our own behavior be affected, all these years later, if at all?
Managing the memories is a matter of time, age, experience and maturity. The memories can still hurt; they can feed anger and they can create desires for justice. There’s not much we can do with those feelings except to trust that our 20-year global war on terror visited justice upon those who deserved it. We can use the memories to keep ourselves alert to the possibility of such attacks in the future, as well as using them to fuel our collective sense of patriotism and national pride. The pain we all felt that morning surged out of us, expressed as national pride and it would be awesome if we could have it back.
While none of us would ever want to repeat the morning of September 11th, 2001, do you remember the morning of September 12th? The nation came together as never before – perhaps not since World War II – sharing our grief and loss, supporting our country and behind any military action our elected representatives decided was necessary. Isn’t it a shame that we don’t see that same sentiment all over our country today?
While we can’t inspire the entire national population to embrace that sense of community and collective pride, we can control our own behavior and act with that sense of pride. We can use the memories and how we felt back then to fuel our willingness to stay alert today.
Is it paranoid to think that America might still have some enemies who would attack us in such a manner again if they could? That’s not paranoid at all. It’s realistic and prudent. “See something, say something,” might not be posted on traffic billboards, etc. like it used to be, but it’s still a good way to behave. Just because that attack was 22 years ago doesn’t mean it can’t happen again. Just because we warred with those who committed or supported the attacked for two decades doesn’t mean we have no enemies in the world; in fact, it might mean we have more. As we go about our lives, day to day, we can honor the American lives lost that day and all of the lives lost to the war against terror, if we continue to pay attention.
The one thing we all need to know is that the passage of time may reduce the felt pain and the felt anger, but it doesn’t reduce the mutual responsibility we all have as Americans to pay attention and protect our nation as best we can. Sure, calling 9-1-1 about something that seems suspicious but turns out to be nothing may seem embarrassing. But how much more embarrassing and damaging can it be if we see something, think it might be suspicious, don’t call it in and then it turns out we should have?
As we live through the next year, let’s try to embrace the sense of national pride and community we shared on September 12th, 2001. And let’s stay alert so we don’t have to experience another one.
Lt. Frank Borelli (ret), Editorial Director | Editorial Director
Lt. Frank Borelli is the Editorial Director for the Officer Media Group. Frank brings 20+ years of writing and editing experience in addition to 40 years of law enforcement operations, administration and training experience to the team.
Frank has had numerous books published which are available on Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, and other major retail outlets.
If you have any comments or questions, you can contact him via email at [email protected].