Innocence lost in attacks on 9/11/2001

America today is much different than it was then

Every decade has a moment where time seems to stand still.

In 2001, that moment occurred on Sept. 11, when four airliners hijacked by terrorists crashed into the Pentagon, the World Trade Center and a field in Pennsylvania. Across the nation that day, time stopped. The attacks were shocking. We had heard of tragedies before, seen footage and photos of terrorist attacks in other nations, in other cities — even ones that had a specific impact on Americans.

For example, in 1983, the bombing of a U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killed 220 Marines and 21 other service personnel. Another 58 French soldiers were killed in a simultaneous attack on another nearby building. CNN reports it was the deadliest attack against U.S. Marines since the battle at Iwo Jima in 1945.

And in 1998, the bombing of the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Tanzania killed 224, and wounded more than 5,000.

Those are just a few examples, and we saw those images, and we were shaken. But we still were insulated in a cocoon, a bubble extended by the simple secure knowledge that in America, we were safe. Who would dare do such a thing here? But the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, happened on our soil, killing 2,996 people and injuring over 6,000. The attack on U.S. soil was something we as a nation never dreamed could happen, and forever changed our perspective.

America today looks much different than it did on Sept. 11, 2001. Our airports are much more secure, and we are accustomed to extra scrutiny going into major events. Metal detectors and security screens are much more common affairs.

Without a doubt, we’ve lost a sense of innocence, which may never truly return.

Today, on the 16th anniversary, please pause for a moment to remember those who were killed that day, and those whose lives were forever changed.