Lessons from 25 Years Ago

A quarter of a century ago America experienced one of its darkest days, as the skyline of its largest city was forever changed. Today, as we have for the past 25 years, we pause to remember those we lost, and those we continue to lose due to illness caused by toxic air that fateful day.

Yet while we remember and honor those whose lives were lost, we should also remember the best of humanity that was on display that day. We should remember the heroes who ran into the burning building to save more lives. We should remember the communities around the world that welcomed those stranded by the grounded air traffic. We should remember the unity and resiliency that came out of that day.

Today’s political division is an affront to those memories. We see both political parties treating the other as enemies, rather than building off common ground to make this country better. We see Islamophobia at their highest levels since the days and weeks after the attacks. It is tragic. It is wrong.

We talk here often about ending the stigma. About creating a more psychologically safe space for lawyers and legal professionals. We’ve seen that we can come together to do tough things, to heal traumas. In some ways, addressing the stigma surrounding mental illness, a stigma that continues to claim lives, is a bigger lift than the unity and healing the nation had to go through after 9/11. In other ways, it is either smaller, or not comparable. Yet the clearest take away is that we are capable of healing from hard events and caring for one another. Maybe the best way we can remember 9/11 is by getting back to that.