Never Forget

Today's edition of Freedom Friday is dedicated to the victims of 9/11 and their families.

I'm sure that, like me, you remember exactly where you were eight years ago when you first heard the tragic news. At first, we thought it was a tragic accident. Then, as the second plane crashed into the Twin Towers, came the terrible realization that someone had done this deliberately. We watched in horror as the third plane hit the Pentagon and thought to ourselves that terrorism was no longer something that happened overseas...it happens at home. As the fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania, we understood that nothing would ever be the same again. And we reeled from the pain and the terror.

And then we did what Americans do. We hugged and comforted each other and pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps and bravely carried on.

Do you remember how we felt on September 12th that year?

For that brief moment in time, there were no Republicans, no Democrats, no conservatives, no liberals, no black, no white, no Christian, no Atheist.

We were all simply Americans.

What happened to that united American spirit?

As my friend John said today on Facebook, "Strange...eight years ago the country locked arms and lit candles...today the country takes sides and throws barbs...seems the common denominator on both days is fear...strange..."

Today, as I remember 9/11, I pray that we will forget what divides us and that we will NEVER FORGET what holds us together.