
<p>In a previous commentary, I reflected on the actual 9/11 attack and the war in Afghanistan the ensued. ; But the days immediately following 9/11 had special meaning that is worth remembering.</p>



<p>Living in downtown Chicago gave my family, my staff and friends a unique perspective. ; Initially, it was because we felt that we could have been a target on 9/11 – and in the days following. ; The Sears Tower was the tallest building in the world at the time – making it a potentially prime symbolic target.</p>



<p>President Bush had already given his speech that we could rest assured that the evil forces who committed this human atrocity would be found and punished … annihilated. ;  ; We not only believed that but were sure it would be accomplished swiftly and effectively. ; There was no sense of pessimism. ; The fact that did not happen makes the tragedy of 9/11 that much worse.</p>



<p>In the days following the attack, news reports questioned how the American people would react. ; Would we go about our normal business, or would we hunker down in fear? ; That was particularly focused on those of us who lived and worked in the great metropolitan centers – the most likely targets for future attacks. ; Would we be terrorized?</p>



<p>But hope and optimism won the day over fear. ; There was a great unity among we the people. ; We not only were going to get those bastards, but we would not cower in fear – the very thing terrorist want most. ; To terrorize.</p>



<p>On 9/11, the streets of downtown were empty within hours of the attack. ; That night there were no planes in the sky. ; Michigan Avenue – the street below our apartment – was empty and eerily silent.</p>



<p>The next morning and in the days that followed, the sights and sounds returned. ; But there was a difference – a very noticeable difference. ; ;</p>



<p>When my family and I joined the throngs on the main streets of downtown Chicago, we found the sidewalks more crowded than ever. ; People were especially cordial – nodding and saying “hi” to folks passing by. ; The crowded was composed of every age and ethnic group – openly displaying unity and harmony. ; It included white folks, black, Hispanic, Asian and even Muslims wearing symbolic clothing. ;  ; Many said they were out and about to show the terrorist that they did not break the American spirit. ; We would NOT cower in fear.</p>



<p>To me, it was a public display of American unity and patriotism unlike anything since the end of World War II. ; Flags were popping up everywhere – on high-rise buildings, in store windows, in apartment and office windows, on lapels, on cars and oversized flags on trucks. ; People across the nation were hanging the American flag as expressions of defiance and optimism. ; It was a Fourth of July on steroids.</p>



<p>Remarkably, it was literally a celebration in response to a tragedy. ; It ironically seemed that the very horror of the attack brought about an exuberant display of American resolve and patriotism. ; Yes, American took a hit, but there was almost universal optimism that we would not only survive, but that the attack on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania would be the death knell of international terrorism. ; Private conversations that dealt with the attack would be concluded with an affirmative believe that “we are going to make them pay.” ; There was a certainty of that.</p>



<p>No one in those days imagined that the campaign against those terrorists would go on for two decades – and in the end, America would lose, and the terrorist would prevail.</p>



<p>As we solemnly remembered 9/11/2001, those who attacked America were celebrating the success of that attack in the streets of Kabul – literally celebrating the killing of 2,977 innocent people in three locations &#8212; AND their success in defeating America after 20 years of humiliating war. ; If we could have seen the future in those days following the attack, I doubt we would have been confident in America. ; We would not have been so optimistic … so unified … so patriotic. ; That feeling slowly ebbed away over the next two decades of incompetent American political and military leadership. ; But for a moment in time, it was a wonderful feeling.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Reflection on the days after 9/11
