Remembering 9/11

September 11, 2012 | By CHRISTINA MARTIN

It’s been 11 years since the twin towers fell on 9/11. Pain from that day is still felt in the hearts of countless Americans. But in spite of the pain, in the wake of the horrors and agony and heroism, something remarkable happened: Americans remembered the reasons we love and defend our country.

Dusting off flags and donning patriotism, we recited the values memorialized in our cherished documents. All men are created equal and “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights,” like life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, freedom to speak, own property, and to take risks. Our Constitution was established to not only provide for the common defense and ensure domestic tranquility, but to “secure the Blessings of Liberty.”

After 9/11, Americans were eager to fight external threats to defend freedom. Though the initial surge of patriotism may have waned, the realization that we have something worth defending has not. Over the course of the last several years, Americans have once again been realizing the need to not only fight external threats, but to defend against those that come from capitol buildings and courts. As Ronald Reagan said, “Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. . . . [I]t must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation.”