Sept. 11, 2001 — in two days, it will have been 19 years in the past. It’s unfathomable to imagine that, really, because for so many, that day’s memories seem like they were a week ago.
Nineteen years ago, our world changed, some for the better, some not for the better. But if there was one thing that came out of that unspeakable horror, it was the way this country united.
For months, there were no Republicans. No Democrats. We were just Americans, united in ways probably not seen since World War II — and in ways we have not seen since.
Remember it? Remember how calm it was on the area’s roads and how people were kind to each other? Remember that shop at the foot of Schuyler Avenue that sold American Flags and that couldn’t keep up with the demand for more? Remember how those flags seemed to be on every home, business and vehicle?
Remember how much we cared for each other without regard to anything but being American?
All these years later, with so much vitriol in this country, whether it’s in Washington, D.C., Minnesota, Wisconsin, Oregon, or at the Statehouse or in our own neighborhoods, couldn’t we use that kind of care and kindness we had for each other right about now? Wouldn’t it just be nice even if it lasted for a few days?
Nearly two decades after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, maybe we could all take a moment or two to step back by calling to mind what our world was like that year in September, October, November.
If we could just rekindle that spirit, is there any doubt our world would be a better place right now?
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.