REFLECTION: The long-lasting impact of 9/11, and the shadow it has cast on us all
One writer’s reflection on the impact of 9/11, 25 years later, and the hole this national trauma has left in our hearts.
Opinion-editorial by Summer Lane | September 11, 2026
25 years ago, Americans were stunned into silence when news broke that a plane had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
As if that wasn’t shocking enough, the world seemed to stand still when a second plane flew into the South Tower. The collapse of both towers was sudden, catastrophic, and still, to this day, inexplicable.
Add to that trauma the terrorist attack that same morning on the Pentagon, which killed hundreds more, and the fourth plane that was presumably headed toward the U.S. Capitol or White House – a plane heroically grounded by its passengers, who revolted against the terrorist hijackers.
9/11 was a key moment in history – a line of delineation between before and after.
For the many Americans who lived through this dark day, whether in-person or by watching, motionless, glued to the television all day, it was a national, shared trauma. The fear and shock and anger at the evil of it – the sheer scale of its depravity – pushed Americans together in a show of unity like never before.
This unity, of course, was used as the momentum the U.S. government needed to push the nation into the Middle East war effort. Nevertheless, it’s the pre-war unity that sticks with many people more than anything: the feeling of togetherness, of shared vision, of national empathy.
This year, remembering 9/11 feels heavier than ever before. 25 years later, the U.S. is still embroiled, one way or another, in the Middle East. 25 years later, Americans are feeling the sting of a very difficult economic environment and wondering what dreams will be left for their children to pursue.
This year, remembering 9/11 is coupled with remembering the late Turning Point USA President Charlie Kirk, the 21st century’s paramount voice for peaceful civic discourse. A voice for American common sense and leadership. A voice for the people.
The first anniversary of Kirk’s assassination, linked together with the 25th anniversary of 9/11, leaves a bitter taste on the tongue, considering the situation: war with Iran seems to be escalating, and the war on terror, if it was ever winnable, seems like a never-ending merry-go-round of military violence and economic pain.
Where is the unity this country felt in the aftermath of 9/11? How have we squandered that national identity? Is there a way to revive that sense of togetherness and Americanism?
It’s hard to say, but in 2026, the memory of 9/11 hits just a little harder and stings just a little bit more. The video footage of that day, the victims jumping to their deaths from the tower to avoid being burned alive, and the audio of final phone calls from Americans on those hijacked flights are sharp-edged, reminding us all that the future is never certain.
9/11 is the 21st century’s Pearl Harbor. It’s a day that will forever, as President Roosevelt once said, live in infamy. The 2,977 people who died in those attacks and the thousands more who were injured will never be forgotten.
“Never forget” isn’t simply an empty phrase. It’s a promise.
A promise that the American people made never to allow this kind of attack to happen again, either by outside aggression or inside deception. “Never forget” is etched onto the hearts of us all, and as the next 25 years unfold, it’s up to us to ensure that our children understand this important creed and carry it forward into history.
Photo: Pixabay
