On September 12th 2001 there was very little to be positive about in the United States. The nation had moved out of the disbelief that follows a tragedy of unthinkable magnitude and had begun processing what we just witnessed. As a nation, we were fearful and uncertain.
If there was one thing that was the silver lining on September 12th 2001, one thing to be positive about, it was that you were not alone. Although everyone was hurt to different degrees, those who were lucky enough to have all of their loved ones safe began to help those who needed consoling. Some near New York even jumped to action searching the rubble for anyone still alive.
Around the country, everyone was hurt and confused but somehow in sharing this feeling of weakness, we gained strength. Everyone took that little bit of power they had left in them and instead of trying to make it stand on its own they added it to others and found more strength than would have been possible alone. Eventually, someone borrowed a phrase to explain that strength: United We Stand.
Today, those three words are merely a relic of the tragedy. As time went on we reverted to our argumentative norm and the phrase became a call for conformity. That isn't surprising though. We have always argued and we will always argue. Our ability to disagree is one of the things that make our country great. But today the tone of our vitriol has overridden our ability to come together and do what needs to be done.
Ironically, this problem is perfectly presented in the 9/11 healthcare controversy. The Zadroga bill, as it's called, allowed for billions of dollars in funding to be provided to the men and women who now suffer from various health issues caused by rushing into the rubble after the towers collapsed. Funding for this care came from closing a tax loophole on foreign companies. Although the bill eventually passed and was signed it was subject to filibuster in the senate and for a time was considered unlikely to pass before the end of 2010.
If there was ever a bill that was an easy vote, this was it. But instead it was held hostage and Republican leadership demanded that it not be supported in order to make a point about the Bush tax cuts.
The Zadroga bill is just the beginning. Lest we forget about our downgraded credit rating caused by an uncooperative, divided congress.
Though our country isn't facing the kind of drastic tragedy we saw on 9/11, we are still in a midst of a minor crisis. America is looking to Washington for bravery and leadership to combat uncertain times but all we're finding is dysfunction and divisiveness. The brave men and women that took action ten years ago are the perfect example of doing what is needed with out worrying about what they'll get in return or what others would think. Maybe it's time we thought about the three words from those old banners and bumper stickers: United We Stand.