…but, this is the United States…?

I was in my car on the way to work. I was listening to the news. They began to report that there was a fire in the World Trade Center; one of the buildings was on fire.

“Those poor people,” I thought.

Then they reported that, maybe, a plane had crashed into the tower, which was what had caused the fire.

“Must be some small plane- I guess a non-professional pilot. “Terrible accident,” I thought.

Then they talked about the possibility of a purposeful crash; maybe terrorism? “Terrible accident,” I thought.

By the time I got to school, a second plane had crashed into the other tower. Commercial jets, both of them. For sure a terrorist attack.

“Terrible accident,” I thought. “Not terrorism, That doesn’t happen here. This is the United States. No, not terrorism.”

But it was. And the Pentagon. And another in a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Terrorism.

When I was a kid, born too late to be alive during the JFK Assassination, I remember adults talking about where they were and what they were doing. Even a few who remembered ‘D’ Day and other memorable, terrible days. I didn’t really understand why you would remember the tiniest details about your life in those moments when you learned of what had happened. Now I do. But, this is the United States! That doesn’t happen here! Terrorism?

But it did.

And then we promised ourselves and each other that we would “Never Forget”. We promised ourselves and others that we would “Always Remember”. We would always remember the events that claimed so many lives that day. We would always remember the day that would so deeply impact so many lives for years to come. We would always remember what happened and we would always remember why.

But I think we have. Sometimes I think we have forgotten why it happened. Sometimes I think we have lost our resolve to do what has to be done when a nation remembers what and why… We’ve forgotten. Or lost our resolve. Empty promises, I think.

Do you know what happened? Do you know why? What should you do as a result? Do you act like you remember?