Why do we remember 9-11?
As the anniversary of 9-11 approaches we pause to remember the day in September that changed our world forever. That day is a shared memory for us. We can all recall where we were and what we felt as we heard or saw the towers tumble in a cloud of dust taking thousands of lives. The horror, the anger, the fear was a real moment for us which on the 10th Anniversary we will once again relive.
But 9-11 isn’t the only shared memory that America has. In the lifetime of people within this building we have memories of John Kennedy’s assassination on Daly Plaza in Dallas, the news of Martin Luther King being shot in Memphis, the moment of victory in our Dessert Storm invasion of Iraq, the shock of war in Vietnam, and many other nationally shared experiences.
The collection of these moments of history is what defines us as a people. Americans are not a homogeneous people. We are a combination of peoples from every continent and practically every other nation of the world. What brings us together is the shared history of this country. It is the glue that keeps an otherwise disparate collection of people a unified nation in single purpose. That purpose was declared over 235 years ago by our founders when they boldly exclaimed that we would be a nation dedicated to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” based on a foundation of equality and freedom.
Why do we study history? Simply to study ourselves and to understand who we are and where, as a people, we are going. In these days of uncertainty, economic strain, and threats of terrorism it is important we understand that our nation is not just a government, but more importantly it is the shared moments of the people. Those moments that began 10,000 years ago with the first Americans and continue today are reshaping and redefining our identity. 9-11 is part of that collective memory and part of OUR identity.
By Richard Vix, Social Studies Department Chair
