A Reflection from 20 Years On
In the midst of yet another fiercely contested political season in a severely divided country, it is probably a good thing to stop for and reflect upon one of those few truly terrible days in history that momentarily washes all of our differences aside.
Twenty years ago this week, while writing my column for this newsletter, the unthinkable happened. The date was September 11, 2001 and I was in the middle of a paragraph recounting the terrific time I had while giving a talk in Sioux City, Iowa when the scenes that transfixed the world began to unfold across my television set. The juxtaposition between the terrorists who unleashed such horror and the caregivers I met in Iowa was striking and I commented that no such acts would tear this country apart, rather…
“No matter what ends they hope to accomplish, I guarantee you that with the community, love and support that I have seen across this country in cities large and small, these cowards will never win...”
Two decades forward and much of what was to be expected has happened as has much that we could not have anticipated. One positive thing which occurred in the days immediately after the attack was the sense of unity we felt as a nation, not to mention the support and well-wishes of much of the world. Unfortunately, it did not take long for a dizzyingly fast series of events to unravel those feelings.
Now, in the midst of an international pandemic with so many deaths later and the events of that horrific day and those that followed having turned into a political football, this is a perfect moment for silent reflection— to stop and think. Think of those we lost and their loved ones, as well as the brave First Responders who are once marching forward to selflessly protect us all from tragic events. Think of our heroes returned and returning from the wars with injuries, seen and unseen that they will be dealing with for years to come and think of their families that stand by their side as they work hard to recover.
Especially now, we need to find a way back to the solidarity and sense of community we felt those long days and nights ago. That is truly the only way to guarantee that the bad guys never win.
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