According to federal statistics, 13,238 babies were born in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. They celebrate their 21st birthdays today, having grown to adulthood in a world far different from the one familiar to their parents and grandparents.
Today, America remembers the terrorist attacks of 9/11, recalling a national mourning and a national resolve that have informed everything that has come since.
When Islamic terrorists crashed hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon, and when another plane crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pa., it altered the nation’s collective psyche and triggered far-reaching political and social ramifications.
In the long run, the United States’ ongoing reaction to the attacks is the preeminent concern. But it is impossible to ignore or forget the immediate impact of that day, the feeling of terror felt by all Americans and the deep sorrow experienced by those who lost loved ones. Americans will never forget 9/11, but the memories are different for every generation.
Roughly 30 percent of the U.S. population is younger than 21; millions more are too young to directly recall 9/11. Like the Pearl Harbor attack for previous generations, it is imperative that those who remember pass along the recollections and the lessons from one of the seminal events in our nation’s history. It is imperative to impart reminders that vigilance against terror is not a vice.
On Sept. 11, 2001, those lessons were forged by 19 hijackers with ties to militant Islamic network al-Qaida. Seizing control of jetliners, they precipitated actions that resulted in the deaths of innocents. The official toll was 2,977 fatalities, one wounded national pride and one frayed sense of security.
The attacks motivated the United States to launch wars in Afghanistan and Iraq under President George W. Bush. It also led to a global manhunt that eventually led to the discovery and death of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden at the hands of U.S. forces in 2011, under the watch of President Barack Obama.
Perhaps most important, the events led to a surge of unified patriotism, drawing Americans together with a shared sense of purpose. That might be difficult to fathom during these divisive days, and it might be difficult for younger generations to comprehend. Much in our nation has changed since then.
Along the way, the United States has grappled with the aftermath of 9/11, attempting to weigh the balance between protecting our interests and our people against protections for the civil rights that are one of our foundations.
Should, for example, the government be allowed to access citizens’ internet browser history? Reasonable arguments can be made on both sides, but under the Patriot Act, passed in the wake of 9/11, officials can be privy to such information.
Answering difficult questions will fall to future generations, to the ones who celebrate a 21st birthday today and to others who have no personal memory of 9/11. That likely is for the best. Those who are removed from the emotional reaction of unprovoked attacks on our nation will be best equipped to reach sober conclusions about their meaning.
But to reach well-informed conclusions and take actions that are in the best interest of the United States, those who do not remember 9/11 must have a broad understanding of exactly what happened.
It is up to those who lived through it to ensure that our nation never forgets.
