Forgotten Lessons: Remembering 9/11 in an Age of Amnesia

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to send this important public service announcement about how important it is to learn from history and the important lesson she teaches.

I grew up in New York City, and some of my fondest memories of my father revolve around the Twin Towers. For us, visiting those towers wasn’t just about the skyline or the view—it was a ritual, the way he said, “I love you”, a point of pride. They symbolized strength, permanence, and a “New Yaaawwwk” state of mind. 

Then came September 11, 2001.

In a single morning, that illusion was shattered. We watched planes turned into weapons. We watched mothers and fathers leap to their deaths. We watched the towers fall, and with them, the belief that America was untouchable.

For a moment, we understood. For a moment, our prejudices were set aside. For a moment, we stood in solidarity for the first time in American history. For a moment, we stood as One Nation, Under God. For a moment, “Never forget” meant something. For a moment…

But here we are in 2025, and America has grown dangerously forgetful. The only thing that has become painfully clear for many Americans is that we were NEVER none of that! And it’s sad AF!

The Cost of Complacency in Who We Elect

What so many have discovered too little too late, is that elections are not popularity contests. They’re decisions about survival. Yet too often, we treat them like entertainment. We elect leaders who thrive on division instead of unity, who are more interested in soundbites than strategy. When leaders cozy up to dictators or alienate long-term allies with reckless words, they gamble with our safety.

Think about it: one administration embraced Saudi Arabia while turning a blind eye to their role in exporting extremism; another fumbled the withdrawal from Afghanistan so badly that the Taliban walked back into power in days, undoing two decades of sacrifice. We’ve seen presidents shake hands with strongmen like Putin and Kim Jong-un as though photo ops equal progress. Meanwhile, our enemies take notes (I suspect, just as they did in years leading up to 9/11) —and our allies wonder how much we can be trusted.

The Fragility of Alliances

History proves alliances are written in pencil, not stone. Iran was once a key U.S. partner before turning into one of our most hostile adversaries. Russia went from an uneasy post–Cold War partner to the aggressor threatening global stability today. Even NATO, once considered unshakable, has been questioned by our own leaders—undermining the very coalition that has kept the West secure for decades.

With the stroke of a pen, alliances can vanish. With a careless election, America can empower leaders who don’t understand—or don’t care—what’s at stake when they alienate partners and embolden adversaries.

Enemies From Within

The danger isn’t just abroad. It’s here at home. Forgetting 9/11 doesn’t just blind us to foreign threats; it creates division that breeds extremism within our own borders. We’ve seen it already—citizens radicalized online, convinced their fellow Americans are the enemy. We saw it on January 6, 2021, when our own Capitol was stormed. That didn’t happen in a vacuum. It happened because we’ve grown careless about history, careless about unity, and careless about leadership.

When leaders peddle lies and citizens grow disillusioned, amnesia turns into anger. Anger turns into extremism. And extremism—whether foreign or domestic—destroys nations.

Never Forget Must Mean Action

On 9/11, the towers fell in one day. If I had a dollar for every time some “expert” said that could NEVER happen…

We got caught by surprise. We got caught with our pants down and slip showin’ and skirt up. We act like because we put every national security measure in place that we knew of at the time, that we can’t get caught by surprise again. 

But the deeper danger is that America could collapse more slowly, from within—if we forget the lessons of that day, if we elect leaders who court chaos, if we grow blind to how quickly “friend” can turn to “foe.” 

My father wanted to believe in what those towers stood for. But he was a realist as I am.  Belief is not enough. “Never forget” must mean more than a slogan. It must mean demanding leaders who protect our alliances, who learn from history, and who refuse to play politics with national security.

Because forgetting is not just a mistake. It’s an invitation—for enemies abroad and enemies at home—to surprise us again.