Generations Will Pass Before 9-11 Wounds Heal

Remembering 9-11 today conjures a flood of memories and emotions even seven years later. We recall the horror of it all. The droning planes honing in on their targets. The explosions, people running, buildings collapsing are all part of it. We also remember the incredible stories that came out of that tragedy, and the swell of patriotism we all felt.

Few moments are frozen in so many people's brains as what happened on 9-11-2001. President Kennedy's assassination, the space shuttle explosion and even Pearl Harbor make that short list. Personal tragedies also spark unforgettable recollections, but few make it to the level of a national and international moment frozen in time.

Hours and days after 9-11, a lot of people claimed that nothing would ever be the same again. Some pledged to leave their high-paying jobs to do something good for humanity. A few people followed through with that, but most of us just kept on living, getting by and worrying about our country. There have been changes, though, and most importantly, we haven't had another terrorist attack on our soil since that day. We say that with great reservation, knowing that another attack is probable at some point no matter how hard we try to prevent it.

As experts said at the time, the terrorists only have to be successful one time to have incredible impact. Every security measure we take must be successful 100 percent of the time, and that's next to impossible to maintain.

Clearly our Country is safer than it was before 9-11. Our intelligence is better, and so are standard procedures for many actions we take every day. But our borders are still unsecured.

For those who think not much has changed, consider the much stricter rules at airports. Think about the laws that have been passed allowing our government to keep closer tabs on people living here, some even infringing on our privacy. Consider how average citizens are much more suspicious when things just don't look right. Even our local law enforcement must consider homeland security measures, besides the usual public safety work they've always done.

Seven years isn't long, and the wound on the American psyche will take generations to heal. We'll remember those innocent people who died, and the heroes who tried to save them and also lost their lives. And we also will remember those men and women who are fighting and dying every day in foreign lands in response to those attacks.

Americans should get over the inexplicable need to overly memorialize this tragedy, but we also must not forget what happened to us. Most importantly, we need to remember that the hard work of fighting terrorism on the ground began that day and will continue for as long as we can imagine.