One of the most treasured and often repeated sayings about 9/11 is the line from the widow of Jason Dahl, the pilot of Flight 93, the doomed airliner that, perhaps thanks to the courage of passengers and crew, crashed in a former Pennsylvania coal mine rather than its intended target of the U.S. Capitol. A year later, Sandy Dahl retuned to the scene as part of her mission to build a fitting memorial for her husband and the 39 other Americans who died there.
She said, ‘If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.’ Her comments resonated because Dahl expressed what was so much on the hearts of Americans. The attacks came during an era of viscous political infighting. We had a failed impeachment two years before. And just 10 months before the attack, a presidential election had remained unresolved for 41 agonizing days. Cynicism abounded. We had been narrowly, bitterly divided. We had been hateful to each other. We had put party over country. But no longer, we said. Our new motto would be simple: United we stand.”
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"VISCOUS POLITICAL INFIGHTING" TRUE THEN, AND TRUE NOW.
"Cynicism abounded." TRUE THEN, AND TRUE NOW.
"WE HAD BEEN HATEFUL TO EACH OTHER." TRUE THEN, TRUE NOW.
**** "WE HAD PUT PARTY OVER COUNTRY." **** TRUE THEN AND TRUE NOW.
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WHAT A DAY. TRUE THEN, TRUE NOW.
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