Never Forget 9/11

It's too bad that patriotism only shines through on days such as this, only to hide in the shadows until the next national holiday. We cannot be weekend patriots.

On this day eight years ago, our world changed. America, the nation founded upon principals of freedom, constructed atop a rock of ever enduring hope and prosperity, was brought to its knees. Three thousand souls perished, and reminded us all just how fragile our world is. Fear, something our generation has not known, was introduced with such shocking force that no one could anticipate its power.

Yet this fear, the objective of terror, was quickly exterminated as millions of Americans bonded together in patriotic unity not seen in half a century. This time, the war was not on foreign soil, thousands of miles from our peaceful suburbia. This time, they brought the war home, to our land, to our country.

And now as the years fade into history, Americans forget the importance of that dreadful day. A new generation rises, too young to remember the live footage and feelings of disbelief and despair. It is our fault that they do not remember. It is our fault if we let ourselves forget. Why must we always fall before we rise up in unison? Why must we suffer consequences before we see the light?

Let us remember, always. Let us forget the meaningless things in life, that we may seek after the goodness which our country allows. Let us pursue our dreams, develop our talents, and most of all, let us seek to do good. If we do not these things, we take our freedoms for granted.

May we never forget 9/11 and what it means to be American.