9/11 and the Generation that Came After

Most of us remember where we were when we heard America had been attacked on September 11, 2001. I was unemployed and had just turned on the TV to eat my breakfast and watch a morning talk show. Two minutes in, they cut away to the scene.

One tower was already smoking. Thinking it was a terrible accident, I watched as a second plane crashed into the other tower. Then I and everyone else in America knew this was NOT an accident. The horror became etched in our minds forever as the news grew more ominous throughout the day. 

The worst memory of all, for me, was watching the people in the windows yelling for help, some gasping for air because smoke had engulfed their floor. Then they started to jump. And it was all caught on camera for everyone to see. And remember. 

The Generation After
It's fifteen years later, and watching those scenes bring every emotion back. The phrase "We will never forget" resonates with us because we won't. We can't. And yet, there is a growing generation coming after us who either never experienced that day or was too young at the time to recall it. This past week, a couple of retail stores held 9/11 sales or "Twin Tower" sales to sell beverages or mattresses. The backlash was strong, as it should have been. But it started me thinking about this new generation. 

The young people who made the mattress commercial looked to me like they were in their twenties. Which means that on 9/11, they were probably not much older than ten. If their parents shielded them from the news, they may have heard what happened, but it never imprinted on their minds like it did for us. I'm not condoning their disrespectful actions, but I might understand them. 

Think about this: When Memorial Day comes around each May, there are lots of Memorial Day sales in the stores. Most of us don't even think about how disrespectful that might be for the generations who fought in World War II, Korea, or Vietnam. That's because we weren't around. Or, we were too young to understand. I believe the same thing is happening now with 9/11. 

I hate to say it, but probably in another 20 to 30 years, many stores will have 9/11 sales and most people will think nothing of it. But I also believe this generation will most likely have its own version of 9/11 one day. Let's face it, folks, the world isn't getting any better. 

So on this fifteenth anniversary of 9/11, remember and pray for the families of the victims. Honor our first responders. Ponder the enormity of that day and work for peace in our families and communities. And maybe we can cut the younger generation a little slack. For although we can say we will never forget, they cannot. 

May God grant His peace, strength, and wisdom to us all.