The 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the USA finds us at an unusual place in our history.
In many ways, the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and the weeks and months that followed still seem fresh and vivid. Yet, many people, especially those in other parts of the country, have reached a point where they have gone on with their lives.
Their thoughts are caught up with what is happening to themselves. Do they have a job? Can they pay the mortgage? Will the price of gasoline ever go down?
’After 10 years, will 9/11 become history and not something that happened recently?
Perhaps this anniversary will be the time when we start looking to the future.
After all, it took a while, but the terrorist mastermind of the attacks, Osama bin Laden, received justice this year at the hands of Navy SEALS in Pakistan.
His lieutenants are being picked off on a seemingly regular basis. We have not had a major terrorist attack in this country since 9/11. We must be doing some things right.
But things have changed for us in the past 10 years.
First and foremost, airline travel will never be the same. Gone are the days when one could run to catch a flight. Indeed, anyone running through an airport for any reason would produce a panic.
Instead of passing luggage through scanners, people go through them. Lines are long as people stand holding their shoes.
And we still have troops on the ground in Iraq and we are still losing soldiers in the fighting in Afghanistan, prompting more calls to bring our men and women home.
In the months after 9/11 there was incredible patriotism across the country.
American flags were seemingly everywhere… on poles, on buildings, on cars.
Today, we see the occasional “support our troops” stickers on cars. And sometimes there are the “welcome home” signs on highway overpasses. But the adrenaline of those early days is gone.
Perhaps Sept. 11, 2001, like Dec. 7, 1941, is beginning to pass into history.
But, also like the “Day of Infamy,” it is a day we should never forget.
Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and on United Airlines Flight 93.
We will remember and honor them this weekend in ceremonies here and Ground Zero, Washington and Shanksville, Pa.
It is right that we do so. They and their families deserve our respect.
The same can be said for the police and firefighters who responded to Ground Zero on the day and days after 9/11.
But, once again, we have proved that we are a resilient people.
We will not forget, but we also will not be terrorized.
