9/11/01. We all know what happened that day. Millions of us remember exactly where we were when the planes struck. And many of us have vowed to never forget the nearly 3,000 lives lost.

It’s been 10 years and I’m left wondering if we’ve forgotten something else that’s poignantly important: Unity.

Do you remember in the days after the attacks, how united we were? Strangers talked to you more, people seemed more compassionate and even the politicians stopped trading barbs.

I know that as a country we were grieving and that grief knitted us closer. I didn’t think we’d all be singing kumbaya for years to come, I just hoped that we’d keep some of that closeness.

If there’s anything we learned out of 9/11, it’s that we as a nation can be wonderful when we’re together, but right now it doesn’t feel like we’re there.

Granted the country’s mood has ebbed and flowed over the past decade, especially as our economy tanked. But still the widening divisions are disheartening. The 2012 races already seem poised to reach new levels of ugliness.

The ugliness in Washington got so bad, it threatened to shut down our country’s government. And some of the nasty rhetoric spewing from the cable news networks is just shameful.

Not to mention how social media has made it easier for people to hide behind their laptops as they regurgitate hate.

I’m not sure how we can get back to capturing even a thread of the unity we had immediately after 9/11. I do hope that with this 10 year anniversary when we promise to never forget our loved ones who died that day, we also remember to simply love one another.

 

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(I’m sharing my awesome with Momma Made It Look Easy and you can too.)

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Ten Years After 9/11, Have We Forgotten An Important Lesson? — 16 Comments

  1. AMEN sister! This is why I didn’t post or tweet anything about the “event” we all know what happened and where we were…I wish there was a way to put this in front of those politicians. Really I can’t say AMEN loud enough – awesome post and great reminder!!

    • Oh I’m so glad you liked it. I was on the fence about posting something too, but then talked it over a bit with Hubby and thought I could do a little something. You know I was curious as to why you weren’t Tweeting anything on 9/11 but I was going to try to find a way to ask you why without sounding accusatory. 🙂 I totally understand where you’re coming from.

    • Yes it is sad that it’s business as usual a decade later. But for some it’s not and I hope that those people will make a bigger, more positive impact on our world. Are my hopes too pie in the sky? Possibly, but that’s the great thing about hope, right? 🙂

  2. Beautifully said. And true. I even find some who use “9/11” as a way to further isolate themselves from “foreigners” (whatever that means). Disheartening. But I have faith that the educated people of our generation can grasp the positive in one another, teach it to our children, and continue to trudge steadily out of the negativity.

    • Good point Bree. I have heard some people make comments about “foreigners” and spatting out the word “Muslim” and then pointing to 9/11 as some sort of proof. Crazy, racist people. I love your comment, especially the “continue to trudge steadily out of the negativity.” Here here my sister, here, here. 🙂

  3. It seems like there is just so much hate. I would hate to think we would need another tragedy to bring us all together again. But even that I’m not sure could do it. I don’t know what is going on in Washington, but every time I turn on the news it just seems like crazy town.

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