The current political environment is riven with partisanship and the subsequent polarization of the country lends itself to an air of pessimism, cynicism, and distrust. Whether it is the result of or in reaction to the systematic dysfunction in our governmental institutions and processes is debatable, but what is beyond debate is the fact that we as a nation are striving mightily to confront the myriad problems attendant to an economy that is slowly and deliberately trying to get back on track.
Crisis is a two-sided coin displaying disaster on one and opportunity on the other. We Americans have defied great odds in our short history and the spirit and dogged determination that exemplifies this nation and its collective citizenry always, somehow, manages to manifest itself. What is needed today is a reaffirmation of our strength and will. While September 11, 2001 may have been one of our darkest days, September 12 truly showcased our resolve to recover and recommit ourselves to the inevitability of a new dawn.
On that day not only New Yorkers, but all Americans, summoned the courage and strength to let the world know that you may bend us but you will never break us. No one is going to destroy us, our culture, or our spirit. You may hurt us, but we are going to show you exactly what makes America great, we are going to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, be better, and stronger than before and yes rebuild.
This is the character of a great nation. If September 11th was our worst day, September 12th was our best. We came together. It was not a Democratic or a Republican resurgence, it was an American resurgence. We looked to a sitting President for leadership and clarity. And on that day we started the long process of healing. Politics took a back seat to perseverance, patience, and politeness. We smiled at one another, we wished each other well, notoriously impatient and aggressive New York drivers pulled aside to let fire trucks and ambulances go by, and they didn't even try to pull behind the speeding vehicles to get past other traffic.
To recapture that spirit we would like to offer that September 12 be recognized forever more as National Unity Day, a day dedicated to remembering that we are all in this together: young, old, right, left, conservative, liberal, white, and black. Whether or not it should qualify should be an issue for politicians and elected officials of both parties to decide, but in the spirit of comity let us set aside a day when we can all remember the best this country has to offer.
This very well could signal the beginning of a post-partisan system of governance that if even for only one day sets aside petty bickering and devious maneuvering in which one side attempts to upstage the other. National Unity Day, can there be disagreement over either the need or the significance of it? We surely hope not.
So let the movement begin.