Never Forget. Never.

It was a day considerably like today, if I recall correctly. Here in Tuscaloosa the sun was shining and I had woken up late (as I did this morning). The events of that day, however, would forever change the lives of countless millions of people. I don’t need to relive it here for you, though; you all know where you were and what you were doing. You remember hearing the news and seeing that greusome seen played again and again on TV. You remember those you lost or that you were fortunate not to. What has become increasingly worrying to me over the past few weeks as this day approached is the reckless attitude that some have taken toward it.

Folks, September 11th, 2001 is not a messy break-up. It’s not a lost pet. It’s much more than a lost family member. It’s not something that we should ever “get over” or find that we’ve “moved on” from. I’ve heard so much urging of these things over the past weeks that I’d honestly like to slap the people who say them. The simplistic cause of 9/11 was failure to deal with or prepare for an ever present threat from Islamic terror organizations and anyone who advocates pushing that day to the back of our minds is advocating nothing less than a return to those days.

The war on terror is not over — far from it, in fact. Threats to this nation have only been reduced by our newfound awareness and it’s this awareness that will start to wane with time if we let 9/11 slink into the shadows of our memory.

Don’t forget the hurt. Don’t forget the shock. Don’t forget anything you felt that day as you watched jumbo-jets slam into the World Trade Center or the Pentagon. Don’t forget hearing that brave Americans brought down a flight destined for DC. Don’t forget seeing our legislators singing together on the steps of capitol hill. Don’t forget seeing muslims partying in the street, CELEBRATING our loss. More than not forgetting all those emotions, however, don’t stop feeling them.

For a short time we were one — a nation pulled together by tragedy. The farther we allow ourselves to drift from that day and those feelings, the more imminent the next major attack is.

Never, EVER forget.




For more:
VOICES; A Small Victory; Kevin; Batty; Political Cartoons from 9/11; British Celebrate 9/11;