September marked the anniversary of our nation’s horrible loss as a result of the attacks on the World Trade Center Towers in New York, on the Pentagon in Washington, DC, and on innocent and heroic airline passengers of United Airlines flight 93 in Pennsylvania. This has been a year of grief, patriotism, and reflection, though a year is not nearly enough time to address the ensuing losses and changes in our world. How can we possibly understand violence that assaults innocent victims with no clear agenda attached other than acting on hatred and enmity? As inadequate as our reflections and “coming to terms” with this event on this anniversary are likely to be, we must continue our collective and individual efforts to come to terms with this event.

I have been moved by the heroic, selfless acts of ordinary citizens, firemen, policemen, rescue workers, physicians, and nurses in response to...

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