Remembering 9/11

On CBS Sunday Morning, September 11, I watched a segment that documented different 911 victims and the different reactions to the tragedies that occurred. Of course, all of the reactions were extremely sad to watch, even 10 years after the fact. We can all agree that this was an extremely terrible thing that happened to our nation and especially to the families of the victims. All of the victims that were interviewed look weak and very much still affected by their losses. I would make the argument that we as a nation are not much different than these individuals.
What this segment really got me thinking about was what September 11 did to our nation as a whole. Many people like to argue that September 11 brought our nation together in a way that nothing else could. They like to argue that we united to come together against a common enemy.
Quite honestly, I have never seen two parties as polarized as they are today. Everything is coming down to idealism and an attempt to make sure the other side does not look good, when in reality I think that we should be working to get things achieved, especially when the economy is as bad as it is today.
There is so much finger pointing. Obama likes to continually remind us that he inherited this terrible economy from President Bush, and rightfully so. Meanwhile, if you ask any Republican, Obama is the biggest spender in our nation’s history, and is single handedly the reason that the economy is so bad. Because of this attitude, Congress refuses to pass anything that is put forth by Obama, simply because of the idea that it was created by a Democrat. Meanwhile, jobs are at an extreme low, and we are on the verge of another depression. All the politicians are doing is pointing fingers at who is to blame, while our country suffers because of it. I think Obama would get things done if he had any one Republican that would work with him, but once again, our country is more divided that it has ever been.
This is the point where I look back and question if our nation has come together at all since 911. Look at the way Muslims are depicted in the mass media. They are made to look like terrorists, and the morons watching these stations buy into it. I talked to a Muslim American at the park the other day who told me she was scared to leave her house on 911 because of the hateful remarks she gets from people. This is a damned shame. This is the land of the free. 99% of the Muslims out there are peaceful people with the same common goals as anyone else. The fact that we are so divisive and cannot come together on anything is a shame.
This idea ties a lot into the theme of myths and the idea that 911 strengthened our nation and helped us come together. While fully respecting 911 as a horrible moment in our nation’s history, I would argue that it is even more of a tragedy because of how divisive our nation has become since. If this moment does not bring us together, what, if anything, will?