What happened to the American attitude and spirit of unity after that tragic day on 11 September 2001?
What happened was that after the shock of 9/11 was over, Americans fell asleep and soon dismissed from their minds that the unthinkable and unfathomable had just taken place on our shores. We resolved to bond together in the midst of the crisis, but once the night had passed, and as soon as the air of despair began to dissipate, we went about business as “normal” convincing ourselves that nothing like it would ever happen again.
We soon forgot about how important it is to stand together as a nation, and once again turned our focus on ourselves, forgetting about others. It never ceases to amaze me how we as a country can become close brothers and sisters in the time of a tragedy such as 9/11, and how quick we are to revert to our ways of treating each other once we feel that the trauma is over.
To those who lost their lives on that somber morning, we will always remember you. You were gone too soon, but will never be forgotten.
Let us also bear in mind that if America is to stay the great nation that it is, it will take the efforts of the many, not just a few. We are all in this together. America is our country. Let her flag forever wave in the breeze and may we always be the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Keith Lionel Brown
ET1, USN Retired
