Most of us went about our business yesterday as if nothing unusual happened 22 years ago on September 11. The tragedy of 9/11 has faded into history, despite some people's best efforts to make the remembrance relevant. Similarly, 22 years after Pearl Harbor was attacked, I was an earnest 6th grader still reeling from the shock of JFK's assassination. WW2 was ancient history as far as I was concerned. Similarly, elementary students today consider the events of 9/11 as something you remember without too much understanding of the underlying causes of the tragedy.
Although both Pearl Harbor and 9/11 will live in infamy, history will continue and the significance of both events in the daily lives of Americans will recede in our collective rear view mirror. In a sense, the nearly 3 thousand who lost their lives 22 years ago are victims as much as they will be remembered as heroes. The historical forces which resulted in their deaths as well as the millions who died in the second world war will continue to shape our perceptions of these events.
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