The 15th anniversary of the terrorist attack that occurred on 9/11 marks a day that will remain in the minds of the American people. It is a day synonymous with heartbreak and national solemnity as we mourn the loss of 3,000 lives lost. There are those now entering high school with no firsthand memory of that traumatic day, who only know of the nation’s response in the following years. For that reason, the manner in which we commemorate and dedicate ourselves to the memory of that event has indescribable importance.

The loss of life and physical destruction cannot be understated, but more than that was lost on 9/11. Arguably, not since the bombing of Pearl Harbor has an attack on U.S. soil so drastically damaged the peace of mind of the American people. While 9/11 can be seen as the catalyst of countless military invasions that have effectively destabilized large swathes of the Middle East and contributed to the influx of refugees and migrants into Western Europe, in many ways that day has also ushered in a period of fear nearly unprecedented in modern history.

A decade and a half later, we as a people have the choice to determine how we will move through the world in the history of such an atrocity. Anyone who has been in an airport or read a newspaper recently must be painfully aware that even now, we are still grappling with the implications of the day the towers went down, and while history influences the present, it does not necessarily have to dictate it. A nation divided and stagnant in a constant state of fear is a tragedy on par with the tangible losses we as a nation have faced.

It is both presumptuous and disrespectful to assume the wishes of the dead. So many who made the ultimate sacrifice that day did not choose to. They did not ask for their legacy to be forever entwined with a national tragedy, but we do not live in a world decided by hypotheticals and what could have been. This is the world we live in. We cannot speak for the loved ones lost, but it is the duty of the living to do the best with the situation presented. We live in a world marred by horror and bloodshed, and while the opportunity to choose was denied for the victims of 9/11, we have the choice to either perpetuate the circumstance or rectify it. 

Sunday was a day of remembrance but also a day to think about how we can move forward as a nation toward a more tolerant and hospitable reality for all. The decisions we make from now on will be just as important as the decisions made for us 15 years ago. Hopefully, instead of being burdened by the weight of the past, we can find a way to use the memory of what was lost as motivation for better choices to be made in the future. Considering the imminent presidential election and the current military involvements in the Middle East, now is the time for what will be at times difficult decisions, and these decisions should be informed both by the devastation of the past and hope for the future.