It’s been 25 years since America faced what some believed was virtually impossible – we were attacked on our own soil by terrorists hell-bent on causing death and destruction.
Thousands were killed as four planes were hijacked, with three hitting their marks: The Pentagon in Virginia and the Twin Towers in New York City. A fourth plane, whose intended target has never been verified, plummeted into a rural Pennsylvania field after several passengers and staff attempted, but failed, to regain control.
For those too young to remember 9/11, its impact may not be as keenly felt as those who lived through it or who lost friends and loved ones. Then there are the countless others who were injured and affected mentally and physically by the tragic day. For today’s youth, 9/11 represents a chapter in history books.
But like the Holocaust to the Jewish people, or the Middle Passage to Black people, recollections about 9/11 provide an opportunity for all to recognize the potential extent of man’s inhumanity and perhaps suggest ways we avoid such outcomes.
We can learn from history, from past mistakes, and become a better society – a better world.
For one brief moment in time, on Sept. 11, 2001, Americans ignored the differences between us that are often used to justify prejudice, racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination.
For one shining moment, as Americans felt as if the sky was falling and that our darkest fears had come true, we came together, united and determined to protect our nation.
Americans united under the banner of red, white, and blue, and we survived.
The tragedy is, however, 25 years later, many have forgotten the service, commitment, and sacrifices of those who died on those planes or who lost their lives as first responders trying to save others.
Those men, women, and children were not Black, white, Muslim, Jewish, or gay, or “radical left.” They were simply Americans. And for someone, they continue to be missed.
We live in a perilous time when what our leaders point to each day are not our similarities but our differences. The rhetoric on social media emphasizes conversations about them versus us.
But WE are all Americans, aren’t we?
As we pause on 9/11, to remember those who died and to honor those who bravely stepped forward without regard for their own safety, the words of Maya Angelou come to mind in her poem “Human Family.”
“We are more alike than unalike, more alike than unalike, more alive than unalike.” +
