Let Us Never Forget

 On this 24th  anniversary of worst terror attack in American history, I believe that Sept. 11 should be a national holiday. 

It should be a day to remember all those who died that day while going about their daily lives. September 11 should join other days of remembrance such as Memorial Day and Veterans Day. We should cancel Columbus Day, which is a minor holiday celebrated by the federal government, but not by anyone else. And it is an insult to Native Americans who resent having to honor a man who enslaved and killed so many of their ancestors.

Let us instead honor the nearly 3,000 innocent people who died on that beautiful September day in 2001. Let us also honor those first responders -- police, firefighters and paramedics -- who rushed in to help the victims. Sone 343 New York firefighters and paramedics died that day. An equal number later died of 911-related illnesses.  

Seventy two peace officers died in the line of duty on September 11, with an additional 229 who died of related illnesses.

These attacks killed people of all ages, from young children to senior citizens. They killed US citizens and immigrants. They killed men and women, people of all races, ethnicities and , religions. 

And let us honor the survivors who will forever carry the physical and emotional scars of that day. Let us honor all who were forever scarred by the memories of Sept. 11, 2001. 

Let us remember how Americans came together in the aftermath of that terrible day, in love and support of each other and of this great nation. It didn't matter the gender or nationality or economic status of the victims. We came together as one nation, united in grief. People lined up to donate blood. Other nations, including our adversaries, offered their condolences and their assistance. Our race, out ethnicity, our religion, our political beliefs, ididn't matter. What did matter was that our country had been viciously attacked, and our fellow Americans had died.

Now, more than two decades later, our country bears no resemblance to the united nation we became on that horrible day. Politians go out of their way to attack colleagues of the other party. People feel emboldened to murder those with whom they disagree. Despite the dangers of forcing a religion on others, Republicans are trying to force the United States to become a Christian nation.

Seeing what our country has become and what is happening to our freedoms and rights literally makes my stomach churn.

Let us work to regain the sense of a common humanity, a nation united, that we experienced in the aftermath of this horrible day. Wei need to work on rekindling that sense of unity, that sense of togetherness.

As NBC News anchor Lester Holt commented at the conclusion of a story looking back on the aftermath of 9/11, "What has happened to us?"

Above all, let us never forget.