On the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, people are coming together around the county, the state, the country and the world to remember and honor those who lost their lives that day and in the years since after working on the scene in the aftermath of the Twin Towers’ collapse.
This day, 10 years later, is bringing people together despite their age, race, gender, religion or political views to show support for each other and pay tribute to the memory of so many lives lost.
The spirit of unity that will pervade these remembrances was widespread for a few years after the attacks occurred, but overall, it’s something that Americans have lost.
On Meet the Press last weekend, former Army Captain Joseph Kearns Goodwin, a bronze star veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was one of the guests. Goodwin spoke about his decision to enlist following 9/11, his service, and life after the army.
On enlisting, he said, “I graduated from college in the spring of ’01, I was getting ready to go work at a political consultancy down in Washington ”¦ I’d sort of tossed around the idea of going into the Army, but never took it seriously. Then, after Sept. 11, I realized that my world was sort of inexorably changed, as it was for a lot of people. ”¦ So on Sept. 12, I went down to the closest Army recruiting station, signed the paperwork ”¦ it turned out to be an incredible experience.”
Goodwin spoke about the desire to take part, which many Americans felt following 9/11, whether it was collecting money or supplies for the search effort at ground zero, heading to New York to help out, or enlisting in the armed forces. Americans felt a sense of responsibility and a sense of solidarity.
But as the years since 9/11 have passed by, those senses have faded.
Goodwin said, “As tragic as those events were, they really did bind us together as a country for a brief period of time, and I felt that a lot of the kind of mess we find ourselves in today might have been forestalled if back then people had been asked to contribute to the effort to the country in ways that they weren’t. .
“During World War II, you had people that undertook tax increases, they were fuel rationing, kids were putting together rubber bands to contribute to the war effort. That call to service never came for us. And if we had asked people to sacrifice on Sept. 12, and I think they were ready, willing and able to do it, instead of putting two wars on a credit card, maybe we would not be in the mess we are today had that call to service came, because I think people were ready to respond.”
Goodwin’s words ring true and should serve as a call to us all now. As we remember those who lost their lives and those who sacrificed their lives in the effort to save others following the Sept. 11 attacks, there is something we can do today.
We can use the momentum of all the efforts to honor those on this 10-year anniversary and each do our part to bring this country back together and make it stronger.
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Today’s editorial was written by City Editor Robyn Burnham, on behalf of the Journal Tribune editorial board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via e-mail at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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