I will never forget that fateful morning of the eleventh day of September 2001. The annual questions – Where were you when…? What do you remember? What were you doing? What if…? What about the promises we made to ourselves about living each day to the fullest because life is short and you never know when you’re time is up? Since then have you loved more deeply? Laughed more often? Kissed long and hard? Hugged more tightly?
Today, 18 years later, I’m also thinking about how America has transformed.
I’m thinking …
About the people whose memories of that terrible day have been kept alive by slow-moving illnesses now overtaking them, and the first responders we would have utterly failed but for the intervention of a former late-night talk show host, Jon Stewart – shaming lawmakers into action.
About the seeds of xenophobia sown that day and the daily watering fertile with hate have made those seeds take root not rot.
About the innocent Muslims who died that day and who have been exempted from remembrance, and the Muslim-Americans who now feel like permanent suspects.
About the veterans in desperate need of care we have not provided, and who have taken to dying by suicide in public to get our attention.
About the people of all colors, faiths, and genders who continue to serve in the military in an endless war most people barely acknowledge.
About a country that at once seemed capable of welcoming a black man with a funny name and his unapologetically black family to the White House, and yet viciously question the same man’s American legitimacy.
About the tolerance of the death of 6-year olds and missed opportunities in the name of 2nd Amendment.
About the nightmares of parents whose, terrified children of color have died at the hands of those meant to protect and serve them.
About the whitewashing of domestic terrorism and the dehumanization of black and brown bodies. Watching through tears as once-fringe hate groups swell in number, march in the streets and kill people, and whose leaders would be public enemy number one if anyone really cared about that sort of thing.
About swallowing hard the travel bans, children in cages, and how we now scratch at the eyes of the world as a matter of posture and policy.
So today I’m thinking – is this the way we said we’d live our lives that day? Cruelty, Shameful, vengeful, paranoid, selfish, hateful – fractured spoils of a polarized nation lead by a president who thrives on disorder and chaos.
I think we’ve forgotten – forgotten the promises we made.
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