9/11: Lessons for Today
By: Naomi Bromberg Bar-Yam
Today is September 11, 9/11. For anyone in the US and the world who is more than 9 or 10 years old, this date is seared in our consciousnesses. It was a moment, a period of unspeakable tragedy, of fear, of confusion. Three thousand people died on that day from all walks of life and first responders who ran in to help those in danger. Military actions that continue to today have cost countless more deaths, limbs, lives forever changed. We live with its repercussions now, 19 years later, in our economy, our travel, our sense of safety and security.
In the period following 9/11, there was an outpouring of grief, pain, unity and action from people from all over the US and the world. Air travel was halted until it could be determined that it was safe. Heightened security in airports, places of large gatherings, and other high visibility and traffic spaces and events remain with us. Our children don’t know any other way.
COVID -19 is not 9/11. Each event is its own tragedy, its own loss, requires its own actions. Still, we honor all who lost their lives, their health, their loved ones on 9/11 and its aftermath to use what we learned then to save lives, increase security now.
This is a time for us as a nation and a world to come together to face a common enemy, a common threat. That is the only way to defeat it. Until we are all safe, none of us is safe.
After 9/11 the best military, intelligence and security minds worked together to address the threat. They succeeded, and their work continues. This is not an oxymoron. Success means ongoing vigilance and research to develop new knowledge, new tools. COVID 19 requires the ongoing vigilance of communities to stop its spread, ongoing research to treat this disease, to mitigate its severity, to address the long term consequences that we see among those of all ages and severities of the original COVID 19.
When travel was stopped and slowed after 9/11, people grumbled, but they understood and complied. We were in this together. The economy took a hit, but recovered. We can grumble about COVID 19 travel restrictions and lockdowns too, and we must comply. We are in this together. If the government does not shut down travel, schools and business for our safety, we must take ownership of our own safety personally and in our communities. As in 2001, the economy will recover when we are safe again.
“If you see something say something” has become a part of our every day parlance since 2001. Security cannot only be in the hands of professionals. We are all responsible to be aware and to care for ourselves and for one another. Now we talk about “the new normal.” This new normal is still evolving, but it is clear that maintaining our safety and health requires all of our care and participation, now and in the future.
It is an honor to the memories and forever changed lives brought about by 9/11 to apply lessons learned to the threat we face today. We are in this together. No one is safe, physically or economically, until we are all safe.