The Looming Tower is the famous
title of the book written about 9/11. Lots of reflections have taken place
since that book was released. What we
have gained and what we lost has been reflected upon in great detail as we marked
the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 in this country.
The type of things we value were on
display. Law enforcement heroes and firefighters who showed courage in the face
of looming disaster were remembered and honored. The heroes of the doomed
Pennsylvania flight who chose to take the plane down rather than allow the evil
hijackers to assault the government were praised and lauded.
What we cherish was on full
display. How we learned to grieve is
part of our legacy. The long road back to restore the pride of our New York
skyline was another tale. We even
debated, in the tradition of Americans, how to remember the Towers and the
legacy that they left to us. It was also a stark reminder of why we went to
fight in Afghanistan.
In all of these memorials, we
unearthed a final piece to the puzzle. We found the answer by unraveling
another important and vitally sad truth. The best of the nation somehow was lost
after 9/11. What is good about America has been lost in our recent battles.
Our Looming Tower is now with us
daily. It’s the shadowy figure of a hulking tower of malice that resides in Mar-a -Lago. The Looming Tower is manifest from January 6th attacks on our Capitol.
And the threats remain. There is a threat of continued violence from
terrorists. But the real threat to the democracy comes from within.
Our Looming Tower is upon us. We have challenges this very month from the legacy of hatred and bigotry and division that were sowed throughout the Trump Presidency. That is why we have seen people working to try and unite a divided Nation. The Looming Tower before us also crumbled from the latest Pandemic that showed so many of our internal weaknesses. There is a starkly vivid contrast between the rich and the poor in this country. It showed with the lack of health care provided to the poorest and most vulnerable and a lack of caring for our fellow citizens.
The Looming Tower is before us. The
threat that we face is one that we can plainly see is coming from within the
building. And the loss of our democracy is the greatest blow to shatter and fall
into pieces we can never pick up. That is the looming threat we face.
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