What time doesn’t fade…

Of course I remember.

Silent and stunned, I stood unable to grasp how this single act of violent fanaticism would change my life and the world in which I lived.

Do I remember where I was seven years ago on Sept. 11? How could I forget? How could we forget?

Certainly, the past seven years have dimmed the details of that day in my memory. But what time doesn’t fade are the lessons of humility, tolerance and unity that flooded the depth of my conscience immediately after the towers fell.

As each year blurs the details for all of us, my hope is that that time will sharpen our focus on these lessons – our focus on the way we interact with our neighbors at home and our neighbors abroad.

In an insightful article in the Sept. 8, New York Times, Michael Slackman reports the perception of 9/11 among Arabs in Egypt and the rest of the Middle East. He found persistent belief among the region that Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda could not have been solely responsible for the attacks and the belief that the United States and Israel had to have been involved in the planning.

Such an idea seems ludicrous. But as Slackman pointed out, “That such ideas persist represents the first failure in the fight against terrorism – the inability to convince people here that the United States is, indeed, waging a campaign against terrorism, not a crusade against Muslims.”

It’s not impossible to understand how such an idea flourished. How often does our president refer to our war against radical Islam? How easy would it be for Al-Jazeera, a prominent Middle Eastern news source, to lose the word radical in translation? The message transforms into an American-led war on Islam.

That’s the perception that exists, churning from a lack of tolerance, a lack of humility and a fear of dialogue among us all. The “we don’t negotiation with terrorists” notion forces isolation and desperation. Where there is no dialogue and no exchange of ideas, maleficence thrives.

Unquestionably, known perpetrators of death and destruction deserve justice, and we have been judicious in our enforcement. But we must be equally judicious in the war of ideas.

On Sept. 11, 2006, Omaha attorney David Domina published a personal reflection on the hompage of his Web site saying:

“They say we are decadent. How can they be wrong? Have you heard of ‘Sex in the City’? Have you dressed down, when it would be nearly no more effort to dress ever so easily better? Have you noticed our national obsession with artificial alterations to our bodies and to eating when we should be walking?”

“We say they are fanatical. How can we be wrong? Have you heard of suicide bombers? Have you seen women relegated to chattel status when they could contribute as equals? Have you heard religion used to justify extreme behavior?”

Humility, tolerance and unity create understanding. Understanding spawns a greater appreciation for the universal human experience.

In a brilliant TV episode written to memorialize the events of 9/11, West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin used his characters to promote understanding. In this clip, first lady Abbey Barlet chronicles the beginning of this global conflict. Perhaps, understanding the beginning is the first step to a future of global understanding.

Note: Although not a direct campus issue, the events of 9/11 have and will continue to shape the current college generation. The event will forever merit our reflections.