I thought about it today - what I was doing on the day that terrorists attacked this great Nation. Just like you, I remember every detail of that day. Two major life events personally, eclipsed by this National horror on Sept. 11, 2001.

I thought about writing it all down, and telling you where I was that day, the heartbreak we were facing, even before the first flight’s wheels left the tarmac.

Instead, I want to tell you where I was NOT that day.

I was NOT aboard American Airlines Flight 11 when it crashed into the North Tower of The World Trade Center, carrying a crew of 11, and 76 passengers. Five evil men took the lives of the innocent men, women, and children who were aboard American Airlines Flight 11.  I will never forget.

I was NOT aboard United Airlines Flight 175 when it crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center, carrying a crew of 9, and 51 passengers.  Five evil men took the lives of the innocent men, women, and children who were aboard United Airlines Flight 175.  I will never forget.

I was NOT aboard American Airlines Flight 77 when it crashed into the Pentagon, carrying a crew of 6, and 53 passengers. Five evil men took the lives of the innocent men, women, and children who were aboard American Airlines Flight 77.  I will never forget.

I was NOT aboard United Airlines Flight 93 when it crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, carrying a crew of 7, and 33 brave passengers who attempted to regain control of the airplane.  Four evil men took the lives of the innocent men, women, and children who were aboard United Airlines Flight 93.  I will never forget.  “Let’s roll!”

I was NOT beginning my work day in the World Trade Center, or in the Pentagon.  I was NOT trapped in the upper floors of these mammoth towers.  I did NOT leap to my death, but almost 200 innocent people did.  I was NOT a first responder, rushing into the unknown, risking my own life in an effort to save others. I was NOT on the telephone, listening to the voice of my loved one, facing certain death, reassuring, speaking words of love to me for the last time.  I was NOT running, covered in ash, breathing toxic air, fleeing the crushing weight of falling debris.  I did not kiss my family goodbye that morning with a promise to see them at dinner, unaware that I would be forced to break that promise by 19 evil men.  

I was not one of 2,977 innocent men, women, and children who died that day.  I will never forget them.

Different nationalities, different races, different ideologies, different faiths, different hearts, different minds – but all, precious, valuable, loved, and all lost to us because of the hatred of evil men.

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 would have been a pretty rotten day for my family and me, even if those 19 evil men had never boarded 4 airplanes. But, I didn’t lose my life that day.  My life was changed, but I woke up on Wednesday, September 12.  I was given, what so many – TOO many – had lost.  A future. So, I remember them. We cannot let them become brief mentions in a history book, faceless numbers in the recordings of “Worst Ever” events. We cannot let them pass into the past, vaguely remembered, and mourned by only the loved ones they left behind.

We must remember. They deserve our remembrance. Their families deserve our unity, mourning with them for the tomorrows that were stolen from them by evil men. Their children deserve our compassion, longing with them for the loving guidance of a parent, taken too soon by evil men. Their mothers, fathers, siblings, spouses ache every day for the one ripped away; they deserve our unanimity on this day. But not just this day.

Folks, look around.  Look at us.  What are we doing? What have we become?  14 years ago, we were indivisible – ONE NATION – brothers and sisters. There were no dividing lines based on color, lifestyle, religion…Evil had come to us, and we stood together against it.  Today, we’re murdering our first responders – the extraordinary heroes who run TOWARD disaster and evil to protect and serve us. Today, we’re murdering our children; we’re murdering each other. Today, we hate each other, we’re intolerant of each other – we’re becoming no different from the 19 evil men who brought terror to America.  We have forgotten, and we should be ashamed. 

2,977 lives lost brought this country briefly to its knees.  We rose up as one, united and determined.  How many stolen lives will it take before we finally see each other the way we did on September 12, 2001? We have become what we stood against – murderers, filled with hatred. We need not fear ISIS. We need not fear another attack on U.S. soil.  We’re destroying each other from within; terrorists need not put forth any effort. We are doing their jobs for them – one life at a time.

I was NOT one of 2,977 people who died a horrific death that day.  Neither were you.  So, what are you going to do about it?

We’ve forgotten and we must remember. 

God bless America.  America, bless God.