Patriot day - 911 - We will never forget… But Did we forget?

Americans

September 11, 2025... As I look around at the current issues and political climate in our country, the question that lingers in my mind is, "Have we forgotten?" I recall the aftermath of the twin towers' collapse, when the nation was deeply affected yet more united in our collective grief. Issues of class, race, politics, and religious ideologies seemed to diminish as we came together as a nation. The mantra of that time, "We will never forget," was officially commemorated in 2009 as Patriot Day, a day of remembrance.

In the United States, Patriot Day is observed annually on September 11 in memory of the victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks. This should not be confused with Patriots' Day, which occurs in April. Patriots' Day is an annual event, recognized as a legal holiday or special observance in eight U.S. states, commemorating the first battles of the American Revolutionary War.

Now, over 15 years later, our nation appears more divided than ever, seemingly by design. People are being influenced to harbor animosity towards their neighbors and those who are different from them, all while we seem to lose sight of what being an American truly means.

What does it truly mean to be an American? Is it a culture, a birthright, an ethnicity?

This question is being asked with increasing frequency, and it seems everyone has a different perspective. However, perhaps that is the essence of it. Being an American is an ideal, an ideal more virtuous as a symbol of hope than it is a historical fact. The American dream was something we all aspired to, regardless of the challenges, and I believe that the pursuit of this dream, the pursuit of happiness, freedom, and prosperity, defines us as Americans. We share more commonalities than we often acknowledge.

We want to be free to speak our minds without threat of cancelation and death. We want to be able to worship in the religion of our choosing. We want to be able to protect ourselves from a potential threat of a tyrannical government. We want to be protected from an unfair justice system. We want to be able to provide for ourselves and our families with a strong economy, but not at the expense of exploitation of other people across the world. We want peace, not to be at war with our neighbors for decades on end.

Not every person that calls themselves an American share these ideals. So, we must remember, for those of us who agree with these ideals, we are in this together. We must never forget that the American dream is an indestructible idea. It is a shared belief, as real and elusive as the value of our currency. It only thrives if we all believe in it.