In a deeply divided nation, remembering a time of unity | Editorial

It is as important to remember what happened after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as it is to recall the nearly 3,000 lives lost, dozens of buildings mangled or destroyed, and the millions of prayers said in response to what many believed could never happen to the most powerful nation in the world.

In the immediate aftermath 25 years ago, this country became unified across income, religious, and racial lines in a manner it had not shown since imperial Japan’s despicable aerial attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. But in both instances, there was shameful xenophobic backlash. The Japanese suffered internment. The anti-Muslim rhetoric and actions continue to this day.

Just as undeniable was that unity after the attacks — including President George W. Bush’s words that “Islam is peace” — helped blunt prejudice.

Black people, white people, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Republicans, Democrats, the rich, the poor, citizens and new arrivals — they all saw themselves as Americans on 9/11. We found common ground in using the nightmare that had just occurred as the impetus toward a greater sense of community.

That spirit of togetherness was a reminder of just how important the word united is in calling our country the United States of America. The 9/11 attacks made it easier to see why we as a nation must not let our differences be exploited by calculating entities looking for ways to weaken our resolve.

A quarter century later, the U.S. is much different in that respect.

Our current leadership prefers sowing seeds of division instead of reaching past political, economic, religious, social, and ethnic distinctions to help Americans of every station and persuasion work together for our common good.

Instead of trying to unify, this nation’s current leaders decided it was more important to wage war with Iran and argue with our allies. Iran may one day develop a nuclear weapon, they said. Dismissing that Russia and China already have that capability and, unlike militarily feeble Iran, have delivery systems to reach our shores.

Washington also decided to overthrow Venezuela’s despotic president to seemingly gain control of its oil reserves, and has made threats against Cuba and Greenland. It’s hard to believe the same Donald Trump who is now so eager to use military force once promised that if reelected, “we will have no more wars, no more disruptions, and we will have prosperity and peace for all.”

Are we supposed to forget the president said that? Is he playing games with the American public? Is he distracting our attention by waging wars that lack clear goals, abruptly destroying historic settings like the White House Rose Garden, and putting unqualified people in charge of public health, public safety, and national security?

So much is going on that too little attention has been paid to all the money changing hands amid the clamor.

Trump’s personal wealth has increased by a staggering $2 billion since he took office, much of it in cryptocurrency holdings. Investors in these schemes have lost about $3 billion as the currencies’ value continues to decrease, but many see their losses as the price to get the president’s ear.

As Trump continues to be Trump — more engaged with building monuments to himself and posting aggrandizing AI slop on social media — everyday Americans struggle to make ends meet because of his policies. Although the cost of his mindless tariffs and needless war goes beyond the high prices people are paying at the pump and the checkout line, it is emblematic of the president’s complete abandonment of the American people.

While Trump counts bitcoins, our healthcare system continues to undergo dramatic changes that have allowed insurance companies to acquire hospitals, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, and otherwise take control of this nation’s medical institutions.

The president’s draconian immigration policies haven’t really solved the problem. There will always be people seeking a better life who will do anything, legal or illegal, to cross the border or stay past their visas’ expiration. That’s because despite its faults — and Trump’s best efforts — the United States remains the land of opportunity, even if dwindling.

America’s problem isn’t immigrants, most of whom have no criminal intent; it’s the lack of an effective system to better manage border crossings and adjudicate the cases of people who may have lived here illegally for years but otherwise committed no crimes.

Effective immigration reform almost occurred 20 years ago, when the so-called Gang of Eight senators, including now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio, supported a bipartisan bill written primarily by Republican John McCain and Democrat Edward Kennedy that would create a 10-year registered provisional immigrant status for eligible illegal residents who paid fines and back taxes to eventually obtain permanent legal residency.

This country also needs innovative equal opportunity ideas to replace the diversity, equity, and inclusion programs now considered reverse discrimination by federal judges. But instead of addressing that issue, the president and his enablers choose to demonize trans people, crack down on speech they disagree with, and abandon civil rights enforcement — all while embracing economic and tax policies that favor the rich.

None of these issues will be resolved with leaders who seem to thrive with our nation as divided as it is now.

It shouldn’t take another 9/11 to bring us closer as Americans. But as we seek a greater sense of community, let’s remember that day and what Todd Beamer was heard saying after he and fellow passengers aboard the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 realized they had no alternative but to forget their differences and act: “Are you ready? OK, let’s roll.”

It’s time for us to fight together for each other, too.