It's 9/11...Let's Unite

Do you remember 9/11/01? I’m sure you do. We all remember where we were, the devastation, the fear, and then of course the need to unite as one Country. Do you remember what we were like before 9/11? Do you remember the political climate that made 9/11 possible? It wasn’t much different than it is today.

Only a few years prior to 9/11, the Country was distracted by the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton. There was a bitter partisan battle in Congress. The majority of Republican Senators voted to remove President Clinton, and all the Democrats voted “no”. This partisan battle in Congress was followed by the partisan 2000 election of George W. Bush v. Al Gore which ultimately had to be settled by the Supreme Court.

If we really want to “Never Forget” than we need to understand that history repeats itself. Right now we are faced with numerous threats from overseas and perhaps our biggest threat is right here at home. We have leadership in Washington that is so partisan that there is a strong likelihood that we can be attacked again. From Immigration to Health Care, Congress is so divided over every issue. And for the issues Congress does agree on, such as infrastructure, it is unlikely to pass due to partisan distrust of the other side.

So where does this leave us in terms of the current threat? Again, we are so distracted over vaccines and masks that I believe our politicians, on both sides, are so distracted that they are taking their eye off the ball. My concern is obvious. We currently have a real divide in government and if we are to learn anything from 9/11, it’s the fact that when America is threatened, it’s time to unite. We need to ask our elected officials to stand together as they did just days after 9/11 for the good of the Country.

On the 20 year anniversary, let's remember to educate our children about the history of September 11, 2001. Not just the day, but the events that led up to the day. Let's teach our children to choose love over hate. We need to learn to listen to each other. One of the things I enjoy most is that I have really good friends who are both Democrat and Republican. I can honestly tell you, there is more that unites us in our love for America than divides us. Nothing is more American than the freedom to express our differences. However, the real beauty behind America is our ability to peacefully unite to defend our security and way of life. For all of those who lost loved ones on 9/11/01, our Veterans, friends, and family, let’s remember to Never Forget.