So What’s the Difference?

20 years ago on this day we were attacked. An enemy from a particular group, with a particular ideology and particular plan came after the US. The differences between the crisis then and the crisis we have been in over the past year and a half are significant. On 911, when we were attacked, we banded together against this enemy. Yes there was finger pointing and analyses that attempted to incriminate, but by and large, we united against a common enemy and we supported those suffering loss and pain, while protecting one another. Emotions were raw, acceptable, and processed openly in churches, funerals, and other gatherings in the honesty of the tragedy. And the reality that chaos ensues and people do not know what to do when unknown danger strikes, was understood–even met with highlighting the stories of glory in the midst. This pandemic crisis has left so many without an enemy to focus our pain on, directing the anger, frustration, sadness, and fear would have been like punching the air. We did not fully processed our emotions, or easily band together to do this. Rather, we searched for enemies and made them out of the easiest targets we can find with whom we are different, whether Presidents, countries, parties, experts, faiths. Metaphorically, we built idols out of metal to cast our pain on, rather than bonding in it, accepting we feel it. No one likes to feel helpless, out of control, or afraid. And so many of us have chosen to point our feelings outward, to avoid processing emotions in the humility of our own souls. The heroes of 911–and there were many–were held in highest esteem, honored, and most importantly given support. People like police, EMT and those who stood up and took out an attacker at the loss of their own lives remain enshrined in our hearts with gratitude. In this pandemic we have made the mistake of forgetting our heroes, because we have made them relative to our own views. We started with identifying heroes in the pandemic as our healthcare workers and EMTs, researchers, and others who serve. But, we lost our way, as time has passed. Our enemies have been relative, and so is our appreciation and support for those fighting for us. Some are demonized, others burning out, and we just watch, entitled to our own perspective. 911 was a collective trauma, much more so for some than others. But even within the landscape of political criticism, we found our need to unite, to grieve, to allow the fear to prompt courage. As our current crisis drags on past an event, let not some of the lessons of the 911 tragedy be left in the past. How can we allow ourselves to process the real emotions that have accompanied this current crisis, where the number of deaths are in the millions? Can we unite again, and close the stark divisions that have sought out scapegoats for a crisis in whom the enemy is microscopic, not human.