Fifteen years have passed. The debris at the WTC and Pentagon crash sites has been cleaned up, and there are beautiful gleaming monuments standing in their place. But our hearts are not clean. September 11th triggered a shift in our national psyche leading to war, fear, suspicion of the stranger, and creeping nationalism. The ugliness of religious intolerance has become acceptable. The events of 9/11 strained the ethical character of our nation, and we haven't healed well.
Our spirit is not right and our hearts are not clean. The toxic dust that was once three inches deep on the ground and that lingered in the air for months after the attacks has finally cleared. But it took Congress 14 years to pass a healthcare bill for the first responders and clean up workers who are sick and dying. Our spirits are not right, and our hearts are not clean.