Fifteen Years Later

This morning, at 8:46 a.m. specifically, marked the 15th anniversary of 9/11 when nearly 3,000 innocent Americans and foreign visitors were killed by Islamist terrorists in New York City, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.

So much has happened in the ensuing 5,480 days - and to eloquently incorporate words of wisdom from Guardians of the Galaxy’s Peter Quill, the years have been a combination of “something good, something bad.”

And in some cases, what has transpired has been a bit of both.

One one hand, the United States federal government became extremely proactive in its visible attempts to curtail international terrorism. The Department of Homeland Security was created. The FBI became a domestically focused national security and intelligence agency. There’s a more intense focus on immigration and refugee programs. Counterterrorism intelligence sharing has become more common and systematic.

On the other hand, the same U.S. federal government dragged itself into expensive wars overseas with sometimes questionable end goals. Al Qaeda, at the time the primary terrorist organization targeted by the U.S., has been overshadowed by ISIL and its terrorist allies. On the domestic front, the Capitol Hill political landscape has transformed into a group of elected officials who are unable or unwilling to cross party lines and find middle ground on anything of importance to the American people. And the prospects for rediscovering bipartisan teamwork appears next to impossible, given the current battle between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to replace Barack Obama as president next January 20.

But if there’s anything the American people still have on their side, despite all the negatives that are part of the daily lexicon, it’s hope. Hope that the political bickering will come to an end and the two major political parties will work together again in a respectful manner. Hope that the billions of dollars exhausted on anti-terrorism technology and weaponry has been well-spent. Hope that the United States makes wise and effective decisions on dealing with Middle East terrorist non-government organizations, with equal hope we can bring our troops home unscathed.

Meanwhile, not a day goes by that there isn't some 9/11 connection which takes place. For some, it may be a news story about discrimination against Muslims, or a song which is heard on the radio, or going through airport security on a business trip. There’s always something there to remind us, even if we have no such desire to remember a most significant moment in recent U.S. history.

But remember we must, and we do.