09/11/2026
For those of us who lived through September 11, 2001, the day is forever etched in our memory. We remember where we were as the unimaginable unfolded.
But 25 years later, an entire generation has no personal memory of that day. For them, September 11 is history — perhaps a classroom lesson, photograph, or story told by someone who was there.
That makes remembering more than reflection. It makes it a responsibility.
Nearly 3,000 innocent people began what seemed like an ordinary day—and never came home.
Firefighters climbed stairwells as others were coming down. Police officers, paramedics, and citizens moved toward danger to help people they had never met.
In those moments, the labels we place on one another meant nothing. There were no strangers, no sides, and no differences to measure — only people who needed help and people willing to risk everything to reach them.
They simply answered the call.
Their sacrifice did not end when the fires were extinguished. Many who participated in the rescue, recovery, and cleanup—or worked and lived nearby—later developed cancers, respiratory illnesses, and other serious health conditions connected to their exposure. Many have since died.
We must remember them, too.
But on this 25th anniversary, we should also remember what happened on September 12. In the hours and days that followed, something remarkable happened. We came together—not as red states or blue states, but as red, white, and blue states. (Continued In Comments)
