It’s hard to believe that 15 years have passed since Islamic terrorists murdered 3,000 people on American soil, shattering the notion that Americans were somehow immune to attacks like those that threatened residents of countries in the Middle East and parts of Europe, Africa, and the Far East on a daily basis.
Indeed, the only constant today is an even more dangerous world, and our national security is more important than ever.
We must never forget the attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001. These attacks are to today’s generation what the attacks on Pearl Harbor were to generations past. The events of 9/11 woke the United States from a stupor, and forced everyone — black, white, Native American, Hispanic — to confront the dangerous realities that threaten the civilized world.
The attacks unified Americans everywhere, and brought out the best virtues in all of us – bravery, selflessness, and grace under pressure. This mentality was front and center this past weekend in Gallup, as the city honored those who gave their lives on that dreadful day.
No doubt, people everywhere were taken aback by the horrible events that unfolded 15 years ago. We must never forget that awful feeling, for it helps to strengthen our resolve against terrorists who wish to destroy the freedoms and values of what America stands for.
It is important to reject hatred and violence in all forms. Each and every one of us must work to keep in place the unity that makes us strong. Even though Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, is dead and gone, the evil that inspired those attacks is still very much alive.
As local leaders said over the weekend at Gallup’s annual 9/11 remembrance ceremony, we must never forget the heartaches of that day, and we must pray for world peace.
