Editorial: Remembering 9/11 and finding our way back

By Brandi Makuski

If you were old enough, you remember Sept. 11, 2001, as clearly as if it were yesterday. You remember where you were, who you were with, and how the world seemed to stop in an instant. You remember the shock of the attacks, the grief that followed, and the bravery of those who ran toward the danger instead of away from it.

But our kids don’t. For them, 9/11 is a page in a history book. They’ve never known a world without TSA checkpoints, long security lines, or constant reminders of terrorism. They’ve never known what life was like before that day.

What we can share with them, though, is not only the story of what happened, but how we came together afterward. We weren’t Republicans or Democrats. We weren’t divided by red or blue. For a time, we were simply Americans—neighbors helping neighbors, strangers comforting strangers, and communities standing strong together.

That’s the spirit we need to find again.

Here in central Wisconsin, we have a place that helps us remember. In front of the Plover Municipal Center stands a memorial with a piece of steel from the World Trade Center. Then-Lt. Ryan Fox worked to bring it here in 2011. Today, as Plover’s police chief, he still tends to it, cleaning it every few months. He also wrote the words etched on the plaque.

The memorial is powerful in its simplicity. Red bricks represent the firefighters and medics who lost their lives. Black bricks honor the police officers who died. Three benches face the steel—one for the World Trade Center, one for the Pentagon, and one for the flights that were lost. Fire Chief Mark Deaver says people still stop by often, quietly reflecting, quietly remembering.

It stands as a reminder not just of loss, but of strength. Of resilience. Of unity. And it calls us back to something we desperately need today: the ability to put aside our differences and stand shoulder to shoulder again.

Twenty-four years later, America is not the same as it was. We’re louder, angrier, more divided. But the lesson of 9/11 is still there, if we choose to see it. It tells us we are stronger when we stand together. It tells us that kindness, decency, and courage matter. It tells us that freedom comes with responsibility—to look out for one another, to lift each other up, to do what’s right.

So let’s teach our children more than just the history of that day. Let’s show them the unity that carried us through it. Let’s remind them that being an American isn’t about labels or politics. It’s not about publicizing our private lives. It’s not about criticizing one another for their beliefs. It’s about taking the responsibility of educating yourself before you open your mouth. It’s about community, compassion, and courage.

That’s how we honor the lives lost. That’s how we inspire the next generation. That’s how we keep the memory of 9/11 alive.