On this solemn day, 22 years after the devastating and pivotal events that changed American history forever, it is important first to honor and never forget the people who lost their lives. It is also an opportunity to reflect on who we were and what we believed as a country, over two decades ago. Remember that feeling of togetherness that we felt after multiple planes were hijacked and crashed into the Pennsylvania countryside, the Pentagon, and both towers of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, killing thousands? We had been attacked by a foreign terrorist organization, on a mass scale, and we all shared feelings of shock, sorrow, and rage.
Remember the feeling of national unity? Even before the attacks, we were a markedly different country than we are today. Sure there were normal partisan differences and heated disagreements that characterized parts of our national conversation. However, the strong sense that we were in this together as citizens of the United States ran much deeper than the ideological tribalism that, lately, has come to dominate. Republican or Democrat, our common civic beliefs such as our faith and trust in free and fair elections and an independent judiciary were far greater in 2001 than they are today.
On the whole, we maintained a collective respect for the institutions and principles that helped form the foundation of our democratic republic. In that moment of national strain, the large majority of us recognized the critical role of the FBI, our armed forces, the Justice Department, and the CIA in collectively dealing with the crisis. Yes, there had been an intelligence failure that had led to the attacks – the details of which would come to light in the months and years following – but we knew we needed them then and we still do today. Most of us recognize these agencies are filled with dedicated, hardworking, and patriotic Americans from diverse backgrounds, whose goal is to keep us safe and enforce the laws. Many of us know these people personally.
Unfortunately, over the last several years, a large segment of the American population has been taught by populist, self-interested politicians to view these critical institutions negatively, through partisan lenses. This, mostly, is at the direction of one extremely flawed and self-interested individual and marks a dangerous turn on our national journey. With the homeland still facing numerous external dangers the biggest threat now to our nation’s security and stability emanates from within. We are our own worst enemy. The threat of domestic terrorism, in the form of violence and threats of violence from far-right and white supremacist groups and similarly-inspired lone wolves poses the biggest challenge to law enforcement agencies at the local through the federal level.
Daily, a failed, bitter Ex-President rages against the legal and investigatory entities holding him to account for his own documented actions to overthrow our democracy, unlawfully horde Top Secret documents, and lie and obstruct federal investigations. The undeniable GOP frontrunner, enabled by cowards and sycophants in Congress who parrot his lies and conspiracies, has incited and convinced the majority of the Republican Party that the FBI and Justice Department must be dismantled. At a time when we need these agencies the most, the leaders of what formerly was known as the Party of Law and Order, have adopted the rhetoric of conspiracy and demonization for the purposes of pleasing the fragile ego and petty grievances of a man facing 91 counts of indictment from multiple grand juries; a sore loser unable to accept his electoral defeat and hellbent on using supporters he’s convinced of the Big Lie for political cover. Cynically and systematically, he and his enablers in the GOP leadership, have gone about undermining the faith of millions of Americans in critical federal agencies and staff who are actively dealing with domestic terrorism caseload numbers that have tripled in recent years.
On the anniversary of 9/11 remember the attacks and the lives that were lost that fateful day. But let it be a reminder also that we can strongly disagree on the issues of the day but we must not forget that we are all Americans. We must remember, above Party or candidate loyalties, to guard the right of all of us to choose our own leaders through a free and fair election process and accept those outcomes, even if we don’t agree. That’s what our men and women in uniform are fighting for, not for the whims and lust for power from wanna-be-dictators.
Finally, we should remember to get back to the place where the vast majority of us once again support all law enforcement officials from our local police officers to our FBI agents and Justice Department officials. These agencies aren’t perfect, they make mistakes sometimes. Every day though, hundreds of thousands of patriotic men and women rise out of bed and go to work to protect our freedoms and safeguard our families from harm. Additionally, no one is above the law in America and these law enforcement agencies are tasked with enforcement. Everyone should be held accountable for their actions, and that includes street criminals, tax cheats, former Presidents, and any current political candidates who attempt to subvert our democratic government. We must stand together, and ignore the cheap, opportunistic, populist politicians trying to drive a wedge between us. We must be vigilant to the threats from abroad and to the growing threats from within that jeopardize our domestic tranquility. Twenty-two years on from 9/11/01, a moment that brought our nation together like no other, it’s good to reflect and admit we’re not perfect but it’s still worth it to stay together and keep trying.