This last week was the 11th anniversary (for want of a better word) of 9/11. There was a lot of commemorating, remembering, and honoring of those that died that day, civilians and civil servants alike. And that is as it should be. I remember watching the news that morning as I got ready for work and seeing the second plane hit the second tower. I remember driving to work, numb and wondering how this could happen here on American soil.
For years, we have been saying, "Never forget." and so we commermorate, remember, and honor every year. As I wrote before, that is as it should be. The problem for me, is that we have forgotten. Oh, not the victims or the heros, no. Not them. We have forgotten what happened in the days and weeks that followed that attacks.
People were nicer after the attacks. People said things like "please" and "thank you", and were courteous of others. In the days and weeks following the attacks, we looked at each other as brothers and sisters. We were a nation bound together by tragedy. We stood shoulder to shoulder; arm in arm, with our heads held high. We were Americans. We were the UNITED States of America. We mourned together and our hearts beat as one. There was no division as to white or black; gay or straight; Aethist or Christian...not even Democrat or Republican. We were PEOPLE. We were a people united. In our grief and in our love for this country.
Lately, everyone seems to be at everyone else's throats. The enemy isn't from without this time. It is from within. Who was it that said, "I have seen the enemy and it is us."? Or something akin to that. We are our own worst enemy. All of this infighting and where has it gotten us?
Why are we fighting over things that don't affect the fate of our nation? Why aren't we trying to find a solution to this mess we are in? Instead of pointing fingers at each other, why don't we put our heads together and come up with an antidote for what ails this country. We need to roll up our sleeves and use a little bit of that good ol' American elbow grease. We should work together and not against each other to get 'er done. We can fix this. Just put down your verbal weapons and shake hands. Remember how it felt to be UNITED as Americans, instead of catagorizing people into little cubby-holes. Can we do that, please?
We mourned Americans that day and for weeks after. We did not stop to ask if they were gay, straight, of color, Aethist, Christian...not even what their political party was. We just mourned. Because they were people. They were us: Americans.
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