We're ten years older, but wiser?

Ten years later, the country remembers the devastation it faced in 2001. Could it really be ten years from my geeky freshman self, sitting in french class while my instructor wept, the head master making the rumors materialize on the overhead speakers. There was an immediate need to know exactly where our families were, a pit lay on the bottom of our stomachs till we could hear their voices. Our hearts ached for everyone who suffered, directly and indirectly, from those calculated attacks. It was a punch in the stomach and we had the wind knocked out of us. All of us, the world. In our NYC suburb, we all knew someone whose life changed for the worse. Yet, it was almost masochistic the number of times the footage was replayed, it was shocking, heart wrenching, and the media set record viewings. We couldn't tear ourselves away. That was what extremism looks like, we thought, without perspective and a value for the sanctity of life. What rose up from the ash and debris was most shocking of all, in this polarized political environment in America, which we have accepted as reality - we united, like never before. Could we channel all that amazing patriotic and heroic post 9/11 energy and make some progress in washington? Instead, we went to war with a country that had nothing to do with those attacks, Bush's personal vendetta, his life's mission. And he exploited our broken hearts to pave the road to a senseless war in Iraq. Sanctity of life? Here in lies the parallels. But no matter who you talk to, God's on THEIR side. Everyone remembers that patriotism, but no one knows how it became so intangible. Because here we are, ten years later, far removed our sense of unity and togetherness, sitting on opposite sides of the lunch table, making inflammatory remarks, blocking any legislation that might stand to improve the quality of this life. This precious life. Let us not waste it.