Remembering 9/11/01 in a Divided 9/11/24 America
How should we remember events like September 11, 2001?
On the morning of September 11, 2001, my wife woke me to the news that would forever change the course of American history. I missed the first plane hitting the World Trade Center — but watched the second one hit live. I’ll never forget it.
We stayed glued to the TV that day — being treated, like all Americans, to tragedies, speculation, uncertainty, and anxiety.
I knew, like millions of others, that our world had changed forever.
The September 11 attacks, orchestrated by al-Qaeda, claimed 2,977 lives and became the deadliest terrorist attack in history. The aftermath sparked the global War on Terror, leading to military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and beyond. These events reshaped international relations, domestic policies, and the lives of countless individuals around the world.
Now, 23 years later, we face a sobering reality: there’s an entire generation of adults who have no personal memory of that day. For many of America’s youth, 9/11 is a historical event, much like the Kennedy assassination is for GenXers my age.
This generational divide underscores the critical importance of historical awareness and education. However, in our…
