Historical perspective of 9/11 not clear
As the nation marks the anniversary of last year’s attacks by terrorists on U.S. soil, it’s interesting to think about how history books will treat Sept. 11, 2001.
What, for example, will Americans think about that date in 10, 20 or 30 years?
Will it be celebrated as a national holiday? Or will other, more devastating, days replace Sept. 11 in our memories?
Will the day be viewed as the start of a new chapter in the life of Americans? Or will it be thought of as the beginning of the end?
Is it possible that it will become a blip on history’s radar screen, much as Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor or the assassination of President John F. Kennedy are for today’s elementary school children.
Is that possible? Of course it is.
To know what that day Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001 will mean in the future is, in large part, up to us.
Decisions about each fork in the road we come to today determine our history.