I’ve been trying to work on other content all week, but I
just can’t seem to focus on it. With the current state of affairs in our
country, I keep getting distracted. In my brain, I know that writing about small
business marketing is important for my audience. I know it’s good for my SEO. I
know it’s important to establish my authority.
But, there are bigger, more important things going on,
and in my heart I have something else to say.
Today is “Patriot Day.” What a fancy title for a day that
marks the anniversary of 9/11. Today is 20th anniversary of the day
our country changed forever. The first attack on US soil since Pearl Harbor. More
than 3,000 people died, and 6,000+ were injured.
Since 9/11 thousands of civilians and first-responders
have died from exposure to toxins at Ground Zero. Post 9/11 war efforts have
accounted for 2,448 US military deaths and 3,846 US contractor deaths, not including
the unknown body count that occurred over the past 6 weeks.
On September 11, 2001, our country was publicly and
personally attacked by hate, and we continue to see the repercussions of it to
this day.
Everyone who is old enough to remember it knows exactly
where they were when they heard about the terrorist attacks. I get goosebumps
thinking about it now. I was sitting in my junior high science class. My
teacher got a call on the classroom phone. She immediately hung up, locked the
door and closed the blinds. She told us that there was an attack on New York
City. She didn’t know what would happen next, but we were to stay in our seats
and be quiet. Then she turned on the TV. We all watched in fear, in confusion.
This was a lot of weight to carry at 12 years old.
When they felt it was safe, they allowed our parents to
come pick us up. We sat in the living room watching TV for three days.
My mom cried.
We prayed a lot.
We said we would “never forget.” We honored our first
responders for putting their lives on the line to save civilians, and 414 died
doing just that. We came together as a nation to heal. We were a unified front
against terror – “one nation, under God, indivisible.”
It’s been 20 years, and we have certainly forgotten.
Everywhere you look is division and hate – the hate that
the terrorists wanted to bring here.
It started with political division in 2016 – two radical candidates,
polar opposites, attracting extremists on both sides of the party line. This
was followed by four years of political disagreements, an impeachment and
policies that are still widely debated.
Then Covid-19 lit a match. We were stuck inside for more
than a year. We couldn’t see family or friends. Our kids weren’t allowed to
play outside on park equipment. We couldn’t go to concerts, the movies or even
restaurants. We weren’t sure what this virus was capable of, and that was
really scary. We were on edge.
Separated by lockdowns. Anonymized with masks. Losing
touch with people. Losing touch with freedom.
Then the match was dropped when George Floyd died in
police custody. Peaceful protests quickly turned into frightening riots. Cities
burned and have been occupied by anarchy. A tragedy has turned into more
tragedy and division. More hate.
As the political and social climates became super-charged
going into the 2020 election, “us vs. them” became a theme across all topics.
“People who don’t wear masks are selfish.” “People who
wear masks are sheep.”
“Black Lives Matter.” “Blue Lives Matter.” “All Lives Matter.”
“Trump 2020.” “Trump is a fascist.” “Feel the Bern” “Build
Back Better”
“We’re all in this together.” Yeah, except we aren’t at
all.
We forgot. We forgot we’re one nation – unified by the
values of our founding fathers – standing together against political tyranny,
and, 20 years ago today, terrorism.
Then we got into 2021 – a year we all hoped would be
better. Hot girl summer – right?
January 6.
The Covid-19 vaccine has created division like I couldn’t
have imagined. Suddenly people’s “status” mattered more than anything else.
Suddenly the nurses who had parades thrown in their honor
and were cheered as heroes are considered villains for making a personal
medical decision.
Suddenly state legislatures and governors who try to uphold
personal rights and freedoms are demonized.
Suddenly family and friends were torn apart again. You can’t see grandma if you aren’t
vaccinated.
Every decision we make divides us.
We’ve forgotten that we have more in common than we have
differences. Politics, religion, color – we were once a nation that celebrated
those freedoms and differences. Now, if we disagree, then the other person is labeled
negatively – heinous, stupid, anti-this, anti-that.
And now the division has been taken another step farther.
Thursday’s announcement caught me off guard. It surely
wasn’t something I expected to hear this close to a day named for the “patriots”
who founded our country. No matter what side of the fence you stand on about
masking, vaccination or politics, you must see that this mandate on PRIVATE
businesses and individual citizens is a direct attack on personal freedom.
And people cheer it on.
MILLIONS of Americans are about to be divided from either
their jobs or their freedom of choice.. or maybe both.
So what happened to #neverforget? I think we need a little
more of that. What is we –
#neverforgetcomradery
#neverforgetfreedom
#neverforgetkindness
#neverforgetcommondecency
#neverforgetamerica
It’s ok for us to be different. It’s ok for us to make
different decisions. It’s ok for us to disagree.
But the hate isn’t ok.
Allowing our country to remain this divided will lead to
its demise. What’s that saying? Divide and conquer?
They say tragedy often unites people – countries. It did
20 years ago.
So will you remember? Will you remember how things are
supposed to be? Will you remember that we’re all actual people? Will you
remember to find commonality? Will you remember to respect people? Will you remember
to stop judging people?
Because if we can’t turn this around on our own, I’m
fearful of what tragedy it will take for us to be united as a nation again.