Even 20 years later, 9/11 must be catalyst for action

Many of us who lived through 9/11 suffered through a sort-of post-traumatic stress disorder. The terror attack changed our lives forever, 20 years on as we mark its anniversary.

In the days and years following the horrific attack, whom among us felt at ease to fly, let alone see and hear a plane overhead? The nearest exit had to be a heartbeat away and skyscrapers were off limits for weeks and months following the event.

Images of 9/11 still haunt us. People leapt from the twin towers out of desperation. The buildings collapsing consecutively like sand castles. The dust on the faces of survivors as they ran for their lives from ground zero. The silence in the aftermath. No planes in the sky above.

Our sense of public trust and security was shattered. Airports became fortresses, cameras were installed everywhere. It was becoming clearer by the day that the West was no longer safe.

That this was an attack on freedom and democracy — our very way of life. An unprecedented number of terror attacks in Europe and even sleepy Canada followed 9/11. This justifiably launched the war on terror.

For families of the 2,977 murdered on that day — the pain is unimaginable. It was the biggest single-day atrocity on North American soil. But have governments forgotten the pain and suffering? Are they letting their guard down once more?

The three words “war on terror” are rarely used anymore by government officials. Still we are not safe. America and its allies, including Canada, bought us twenty years of relative tranquillity by going in the offensive against the Taliban, alqaida and ISIL. Our war on terror kept them on the run and with little hope of organizing substantial attacks against the west.

Part of the west’s amnesia includes the Afghanistan departure debacle. Leaving the nest of terror will prove to be a big mistake. The new Afghan Interior Minister is on the FBI’S Most Wanted

List, with the U.S. having offered $10 million for information leading to his arrest since 2012. The Taliban will want its revenge. It will give refuge to new and old terror groups and consolidate its power base. America lost its foothold — its airports and bases in the country — and its ability to have boots on the ground and in the region.

If 9/11 was a nightmare in our time, its hard to fathom what our children may have to contend with in the coming decades. Pakistan, a nuclear regional power, may become further destabilized by the Taliban. By then, G-d forbid Iran may have a nuclear weapon as well.

We were never supposed to forget nor let our guard down by pulling out of Afghanistan. Nation building can take generations and while imperfect, changes were happening on the ground — particularly through the education and empowerment of women. America’s abandonment of Afghanistan, despite having a relatively small military presence (in comparison to South Korea for instance where it has been present since the 1950s) is a tragic mistake for the cause of human rights and to the memory of 9/11. Freedom and democracy is now less secure.

There is no time limit on preserving our freedom and our way of life. This 20th anniversary memorial to the victims of 9/11 will come and go. We will keep taking our freedom for granted — ignoring the signs — until one day it’s too late. 9/11 must be a catalyst for action not for memory. We must let our fear drive us to renewed action.