I am reblogging a post I wrote years ago because on this historic day my sentiments remain the same and I believe it’s worth a second read. While it is true America is currently governed by a petty and vindictive man, who grants pardons to murderers and sends condolences to acolytes while chasing dissenting voices into silence, who has given power to those who are altering what our forefathers held dear, they do not represent the core of Americans. Our America is peopled with those caring for the young and the elderly, who work tirelessly to make something out of nothing, who allow those around them to live their lives as they wish, and who not only bow their heads for those who are trodden upon but do what they can to aid them. 24 years ago we witnessed the strength of our America, not in those who held political power, but in the citizens who responded on 9/11 with their hearts and lives. We remember the brave and selfless today by living as they did, reaching down and lifting up.