By Khadijah DuncanSPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Is it finally time to move on after the 9/11 terrorist attacks? This is a difficult question to answer. Out of all 365 days in the year, no other day on the calendar is more memorable. But we must not submit to the rage and desire to fight back brought about by the attacks.

More than 3,000 innocent lives were taken away on September 11th, 2001. No matter what Americans were doing that day, their lives were dramatically affected when the first plane struck.

It is hard to find a way to ease the pain that our country has been plagued with, but there are small steps to be taken that will hopefully mend our wounds.

Every year on 9/11, people gather in lower Manhattan, right where the Twin Towers once stood, to keep the victims’ names alive and comfort the friends and family they left behind. We have become stronger as a nation because of the tremendous support from people across the country, even that from strangers who weren’t directly affected by the attacks.

Americans will never forget this day, but they should not get caught up in the feelings that were freshest in the heat of the moment that led to rash decisions.

In the wake of the attacks, people were quick to judge entire races of people for the actions of a few. Racial profiling is understood to be wrong, but the resentment is still held close to people who were affected by the day’s series of tragic events.

The U.S. was also quick to enter into the war in Iraq. The war brought more heartache than relief, and the U.S. has been taking drastic measures, which only lead to more innocent lives being lost to senseless violence.

Thirteen years later, it is clear that America may never fully move on, but there are ways to move forward in a productive way. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is a step in the right direction. It does not focus on retaliation, but instead, preserves the memory of the victims of the disaster.

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