Have We Forgotten 9/11's Devastation and Our Promise to Never Forget?

In the aftermath of 9/11, we vowed never to forget. As I scroll through Facebook in September, my feed fills with “Never Forget” memes—constant, somber reminders of a day that devastated our nation. Everyone who was alive on 9/11 remembers exactly where they were and what they were doing when the horrific events unfolded. It’s a shared memory etched deeply into the collective consciousness of our country.

But how unfortunate it is that we did, in fact, forget.

On that fateful day, a foreign entity brought our country to its knees, using our own planes to murder nearly 3,000 people on American soil. The next day, as Americans always have, we soldiered on. Over the next 20 years, we sent our sons and daughters to fight in distant lands, hoping to prevent another catastrophic event from ever happening again.

The Vows We Made on September 12, 2001

On September 12, 2001, as the dust settled and the full scope of the damage came to light, we made promises. We vowed to never forget the lives lost, the sacrifices made, and the unity we felt in the aftermath of such devastation. As a nation, we pledged to stand together against any enemy intent on destroying our way of life.

We swore to stay united. Online and in our communities, we repeated the mantra: “Never Forget.” But as the years passed, it became clear that we haven’t done a great job of keeping that promise.

Division Has Replaced Unity

The political divisions we face today have splintered us faster and more completely than any terrorist ever could. Our country has fractured under the weight of its own internal conflicts. The Obama Administration saw us splintering. The Trump Administration saw those fractures deepen. Under the Biden Administration, the cracks have widened into gaping divides.

Yet, year after year, Americans from all walks of life post their “Never Forget” tributes on social media. Vaccinated and unvaccinated people alike share the same solemn message. Rich and poor, conservative and liberal, they all join the chorus of remembrance.

But their posts are sandwiched between memes filled with hate and posts attacking one another. Social media has become a battleground, a competition to redefine the enemy and tear each other down.

Have We Forgotten 9/11 and What It Meant?

The enemy is no longer the foreign groups that seek to harm us—it’s one another. Instead of finding common ground, we fight over basic human rights, body autonomy, and political ideologies. The vows we made in the days following 9/11 seem like a distant memory, replaced by the chaos of division and animosity.

We’ve forgotten how to be the United States of America.

The spirit of unity that defined us in the wake of 9/11 has been lost. In its place is a nation divided by politics, opinions, and a refusal to listen to one another.

Remembering 9/11—and the Day After

This September, as we reflect on 9/11, I hope you take a moment to remember not only the tragedy but the unity we felt on September 12, 2001. Remember the thousands of lives lost through a terrorist act, and honor their memory by choosing to bridge the divides that separate us.

Go speak to a neighbor who disagrees with you about politics, vaccines, foreign policy, or whatever hot-button issue has fractured your relationship. Remind yourself—and them—that despite our differences, we are all Americans.

We can’t just post “Never Forget” once a year and go back to our divisions. We must live it, every single day.

Take a moment to remind yourself of the promises we made and the strength we found when we stood together. Don’t let our vow to “Never Forget” fade into just another social media post.