September 11th was a terrible day and that was a day that shook our souls and we vowed to build something stronger, better, and hold to account those that would use religion to harm innocent people. September 12th is the day after as the surreal situation sets in and we have to decide what our path is going forward (In some ways we are still deciding 20 years later.) As I have promised in the past, and how based on feeling of alignment with my oaths, it is best to pull people together to focus on the next rung in our journey as a nation.
(The next stage will require us to be together as a single people with respect for each other and to ensure we support that togetherness. There really is no other logical way. It maximizes our economy, political structure, and our outputs.)
Religious and political extremism is on the rise and similar mechanics have led to nation altering behaviors (i.e. September 11th and January 6th) We also have a rise in extremist based violence and an indication that influences some adherent's decision making. Sometimes there are not enough backstops because the recognition of that behavior was relatively sparse and not well enforced.
Things have changed now and we see the danger of allowing these domestic groups rise, target people, and spread false narratives against our politicians, judges, intellectuals and civilians. There are some attempts by these groups to hamper the protections of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion (Remember people are calling others and making all types of threats both direct and applied as well as in some cases acting on them. See Rise in Threats Lawmakers)
Any type of extremism is any good for our nation in a short run or the long run. There are people who have lost their lives for these "isms". No matter your race or religion put down the aphrodisiac of an "ism" and focus on critical thought and togetherness. We should let no distorted perception dictate to us our path forward. It is America's path and for us alone to decide (All of us!)
We are one people and we should act like one people and feel it within our souls that we are one people. The Pledge of Allegance states "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." If we allow those who follow toxic politics and narrow minded perceptions to dictate our path we are going to have a bumpy ride in the future.
My overall advice and suggestion is that we come to accept the beauty of religion in our lives and the power it has to transform us and the world around us in a positive way. i.e. in God we Trust.. It was always meant to be a way to bring people forward and together to shared perspectives. That comes from understanding the intent of the text in much the way as the intent of our laws. If you cherry pick out one word or another it leads to incorrect interpretations.
(btw philosophically. They say man's laws follow behind God's laws. I'm not sure that is a religious statement. I sometimes think of God's laws as those laws that apply to almost everyone. i.e. laws against theft, abuse, violence, etc. have some reflection in our official laws. Thomas Jefferson on Law)
How we decide to go forward is a big one. I encourage our fellow Americans, our politicians and those who make decisions over others to think about the bigger picture and be active against "isms" in our decision making and in our lives (Maybe its like a little like a prayer for our future). Like I said many times before, two wrongs don't make a right. The path forward is to see each other as single people, single community, and single nation. No matter your politics and no matter your religion, our fellow Americans should stick together. The only lesson that needs to be learned here are the lessons of unity and striving.
The next generation has no ideas the trials and tribulations our nation and people faced during that time. We should teach them what we have learned. No matter the politics.
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