Tolland Patch Letter: Essay On 9/11 — And Beyond

To The Editor:

America, United...

Like many of us, I remember exactly where I was that fateful morning of September 11, 2001. It was a dark day in American history, marking an incredible tragedy that within a matter of an hour, changed all of America, if not the entire world. Fear, sadness, and panic swept over the nation. But amidst all of this incredible loss, something else sprung to life – the true American spirit. Rather than being overcome by fear and panic, we came together as a nation and worked together, helping one another, watching over one another and bonding with one another, refusing to let the fear that our enemies sought to create from conquering us. We set aside our differences and found the commonality that made this country great. We no longer divided ourselves and defined ourselves by a certain traits or beliefs - we found that one true common denominator we all share - we are Americans, with an unbreakable spirit, who are an incredible and unstoppable force when we are united. United we stand...

Today, we are at a crossroad. Our country is divided, and that chasm is growing deeper every day. Families, friends and neighbors are being torn apart, simply because they may not share the same beliefs or outlook. Anger, hate and vitriol are spreading like a wildfire, just like panic, fear and anger did 20 years ago. We now face a choice like we did back then – we can give into the fear and division, and fall into the chasm, or we can once again look to our common bonds, focus on common goals, and become that one common, united and unstoppable force that can conquer anything. Divided we fall...

All of this doesn’t mean that we ignore the problems or injustices of the past - it means we work together, facing these issues together to build a more perfect America. In the history of the world, America is still a young country – we have made mistakes and are striving to learn from them, to improve ourselves and fulfill the promises made in our founding documents almost two and a half centuries ago. But we can only achieve that if we work together and find that common denominator – that true American spirit that unites us. United, we can accomplish anything.

Let us never forget our past, and the spirit of September 12, 2001 ...

Lou Luba

Tolland