Daniela Pagano

If you're wondering where the generational split we have today comes from, it's largely because of 9/11. There is a sharp dividing line between those of us who heard the news of a first plane hitting the north tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46am and thinking it was a small Cessna that crashed, then heard the news of a second plane hitting the south tower at 9:03am and understanding that we were under attack, then hearing the Pentagon was struck at 9:37am and understanding we were at war, and then watched with total shock as the towers collapsed live on TV. Those of us who experienced that day and were old enough to understand the symbolism of what had happened also understood that the world would never be the same – and it hasn’t. Those of us who spent the next week glued to the TV with tears in our eyes watching desperate family members walking like zombies around New York holding up signs of their loved ones searching for any drop of information about the people who had vanished into thin air will never forget the horror of the day that changed the world forever. Those of you for whom 9/11 is a history lesson that you watch on YouTube will never understand what was truly lost on that day – starting with the innocence of the greatest country in history – which is why so many of you are willing to tear it all down in the hopes of building a failed utopia that every time has been tried has taken down millions of people with it. That’s why those who see 9/11 through the eyes of its attackers because they experienced it as a TikTok trend after reading Bin Laden’s letter are so willing to give the reins of power to those who sympathize with Bin Laden. The world is divided between those who experienced the apocalyptic horror of 9/11 and those who were too young to have any sympathy for the victims, so they blame their government instead of the perpetrators who committed mass murder. Those of us who were there and watched the horror unfold in front of our eyes will never forget what was lost on that day, or the pain of tens of thousands of Americans and nationalities from all over the world. Those of us who grew up in the 90s felt it was boring at the time. It was full of angst, had no meaning and was considered “the end of history.” If only we knew what a blessed decade it was. May the memories of all those lost 25 years ago today forever be a blessing. We will never forget them.