Remember?

Remember not so long ago when we were scared and held onto our loved ones, our friends, and even strangers?  Life and the pursuit of happiness suddenly were no longer a given.  We stared at the television:  structures collapsing amid billowing dust and smoke, men and women wondering zombie-like covered in white powder, newscasters in panic mode trying to report when, in fact, no one knew what the facts were.  Was this just the beginning?  Chaos and fear spread. 

Fear eventually turned to anger and a determination to fight back.  We, as a nation, strove to work together to make things right, to turn things around, and show the world what it means to be America strong.  No one cared about the color of a person’s hand when they lifted up the rubble trying to locate survivors or, where he or she went to church or what language they spoke. Questions weren’t asked as to what country a responder was born in as they pulled out a victim’s lifeless body.  Everyone’s blood looked the same running through the transfusion tubes on its way to save a life.  Elected officials broke down the barriers of party lines enough to help our mourning nation. We worked to restore our broken homeland.  We stood respectively for the American flag. Our military ranks swelled as young people saw their chance to help protect our land. We were united by a stronger bond than politics or race or gender. We were Americans! 

The United States proved that it could be one nation for all.  We flew our flags, raised money to help victims, and praised our first responders for their outstanding work and diligence, as well as for, in many cases, their ultimate sacrifices.  Churches, civic groups, and entertainers worked to comfort those in need and to soothe the cries of our frightened children.  Monuments were erected to those who lost their lives.  

Heroes, we had many heroes.  Most heroes never had their names mentioned on the nightly news or spelled out in the papers but their deeds helped pull us back from the brink.  They did what they did because it was the right thing to do.  We as a country stood together under one flag, one goal, all Americans.  We vowed to never forget. We created and celebrate Patriot Day. 

What happened? 

"A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has first destroyed itself from within….”

 Will Durant, The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the World's Greatest Philosophers 

Sharon