Saturday marks the ninth anniversary of a day that changed the course of life in our country forever. The horror of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, brought people in this country together like nothing else since World War II. People flocked to churches, temples, and mosques to pray together. They erected flags, large and small, in their yards and on houses, and even flew them from cars and trucks, in a display of patriotism not seen in this country for years. “United We Stand” was a motto that found its way onto car bumpers, refrigerator magnets, and lapel pins. The helplessness and vulnerability we all felt was somewhat assuaged by the presence of high-flying bombers patrolling our skies and guardsmen posted at places like the Clinton dam, which holds back the Wachusett Reservoir.
The American people were hungry for revenge, and we ultimately went to war, but instead of declaring our battle with an enemy we could name—a nation or a particular military adversary—the president declared a war on an idealogy: terrorism.
Because our enemy was faceless, the government enacted laws, and transportation agencies created policies, to make sure that the enemy’s presence among us could be identified, preventing more harm to our country and its citizens.
Places like the Clinton dam became off-limits to hikers and picnickers.
Long lines developed at airports as tightened security procedures led to a closer examination of what passengers were wearing and bringing aboard. Restrictions were implemented on the quantity of liquid or metal objects that a person could carry onto an airplane, and to the consternation of some, security officials frequently confiscated things like shampoo and nail clippers. Officials even questioned baby bottles being brought on board by young mothers with babies in tow.
Some people were happy to comply with the new regulations, in the name of safety. Some were not. Some people felt that the provisions of the government’s Patriot Act were justified; some did not.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, fear, suspicion, and hatred for those responsible for the heinous acts of that day have created deep divisions in American society and have spawned a wave of anti-Muslim sentiment, a prejudice unlike anything this country has seen since World War II, when Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor provoked the creation of U.S. Japanese internment camps. A pastor in Florida has announced his plans to observe this year’s anniversary of the attacks by burning a copy of the Quran, the holy text of the Islamic faith.
As we approach the anniversary of this horrifying event, we remember and honor those whose lives were lost that day and those who have fought and died for our country in the ensuing wars. We also hold out the hope that the people of this country will find something to unite them as they were united nine years ago, but toward the common cause of upholding our country’s values “with liberty and justice for all.”