Never Forget, Remember More.
As a 6-year-old within miles of the tragedy on September 11th, 2001, I don’t remember much. I remember seeing the smoke from the towers. I remember the frantic rush of evacuating school. I remember my mother picking me up, anguish contouring her regularly welcoming face. I remember an uncharacteristically silent ride home as smoke and sirens permeated I-95. My household was sad that day, but I was unscathed, and frankly, at age 6, mostly unbothered, albeit mildly confused.
9/11 is framed as a great American tragedy, and it is one. It is a truly sad day in American history. There were shockwaves of unity, patriotism, and a nation invested in action. Every day for the rest of the school year, I proudly said the Pledge of Allegiance and felt emblazoned with passion and respect for our Star-Spangled Banner.
Now that I am older, I reflect on the events of September 11th through a different lens. Those waves of patriotism were fierce, but as a 1st grader, I didn’t understand the weight of my teacher, Ms. Tülay, coming to school without a hijab for the next few months. 9/11 unified Americans but also served as a catalyst in a violent discussion of who was allowed to be one.
The greatest tragedy on American soil, happening practically in my backyard, left me virtually unscathed. Yet every day, as I scroll through TikTok between cooking tutorials and trending songs, I am confronted with children begging for donations among rubble. The “terrorism” that happened in the U.S. barely affected me, but now my tax dollars have contributed to the worst atrocity I have ever witnessed.
On TikTok, sometimes I’ll see an irreverent and engaging video—perhaps it’s a faulty trampoline or friends bowling—only for it to shift abruptly to a family amidst rubble, begging for visibility. How bleak that this is where we are in terms of finding support for these people.
Our current President, and our viable presidential hopefuls, have indicated no intention of supporting a ceasefire. They claim to "work tirelessly to arrive" but continue to fund the mass death of innocent people. Our conscience as a nation can never recover, and the United States was never deserving of forgiveness.
The slogan "Never Forget" feels painfully ironic as Israel’s response to October 7th mirrors the U.S.’s response to 9/11: disproportionate, cruel, and forever staining.
September 11th, as a sole day of remembrance, is a uniquely American experience. I am grateful for the contrast in the American experience that made 9/11 so notable to us and the world, where it serves as a singular day, unable to blend into a pattern of violent mistreatment. Other nations and peoples—like those in Palestine, Yemen, Sudan, and the indigenous people of the Amazon—do not have the luxury of relegating their mourning to a single day. For them, terror and destruction are part of their daily reality, an unbroken chain of suffering that rarely sees respite.
As we honor the lives lost and the unity we found, we must also reflect on how our actions as a nation have contributed to ongoing suffering elsewhere. The fear we felt on 9/11 is mirrored in the fear of Palestinian families trying to survive airstrikes.
This year, on the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, let us remember not just our own pain, but also the pain we might be blind to. Let us ask ourselves how we can prevent others, here and abroad, from experiencing this kind of trauma. Let us use the memory of 9/11 to fuel our empathy for those around the world who still live in fear.
So sure, remember 9/11 today, but also remember your neighbor, whether they live across the street or across the globe.