Loss is, without a doubt, the most difficult struggle we face as a species. It is universally difficult and, naturally, is followed by a painful period of mourning. When our nation was faced with the loss of nearly 3,000 of its citizens all within a short few hours, it became undeniable that things would not be normal any time soon. However, at this point it has been over a decade. Perhaps it is time to move on.
The lives of those that we succeed will always be sacred, and the victims of 9/11 are no exception. Of course we as a nation don’t want to allow their deaths to have come in vain, but the way the country has viewed September 11th every year since the attacks has been anything but productive.
Pride is by far the most common response to the annual reminder of the attacks on our country, and this is the issue. Suburban families erect their stars and stripes as public schools broadcast cliché images of bald eagles and American landmarks while blaring Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to be an American”. But what exactly is being celebrated here? How is this infectious patriotism honoring anybody as it gets shoved down our throats? The fact of the matter is that the way we have dealt with (and no doubt will continue to deal with) a now 13-year-old event does nothing in the way of helping the nation’s people reach closure.
Trying to mask our pain with patriotism is not only illogical, but also disrespectful to those who died 13 years ago. Contrary to popular belief, America is not the best country in the world. Acting like it is and boosting our egos at the expense of several thousand lives is downright disgusting. We live in a country where unarmed people of color are shot to death without justification. This same country still struggles with paying women a fair wage. All the while, we neglect to give our children an internationally competitive education. The list of injustices goes on and on, and yet we band together and celebrate our country at a time when pride is the least justifiable reaction.
Instead of celebrating our country and shunning all those who don’t fit in or agree, we, the United States of America, need to get over it. Yes, some people may not be ready to move on and in this case, quiet, humble mourning is always acceptable. Our nation as a whole, however, isn’t doing itself any favors by bringing every September 11 to a screeching halt. If we still seek a forum with which to honor those who died during the 9/11 attacks (as well as all those that gave their lives as part of our country’s armed forces), there is a better way to do so. We should make moves towards bettering our country by promoting true equality and observing the issues we still face, all in honor of those that died for it. Otherwise, we only shame ourselves.
