EDITORIAL: Honor 9/11 dead by staying strong

Today we again honor the memory of those lost in the terror attacks of 2001.

This is too important a date to only be remembered on anniversaries that end in 0 or 5. Every year, every day is important. As a nation we vowed to “never forget,” and the only way to fulfill that promise is for each of us to take responsibility for carrying the message forward:

America shall not weaken, America shall not falter, America shall not cower.

Unfortunately, 14 years after the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and three fully loaded passenger jets, we are not as united as it seemed we would be when we looked into the future on Sept. 12, 2001. Fissures have indeed developed in our resolve to fight against the Islamic extremists who carried out the 9/11 attacks. Our leadership is divided. Politics has reared its ugly head.

But the enemy remains as devoted to his cause as ever. You only need consider the attack just three years ago on our Libyan consulate in Benghazi that also took place on Sept. 11. Ambassador Chris Stevens was killed, along with Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith and two CIA contractors, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty in a vivid reminder that Americans are not safe any place where Islamic extremists are given free rein.

It is therefore vital that as a nation we remember our own principles and continue to carry the fight to anyone who opposes life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all people.

A Benghazi 9/11 Memorial event will be held at 5:30 p.m. today at Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork, where a monument to honor the victims of the consulate attack was dedicated in 2014.

Also, the American Legion is conducting a commemoration ceremony to honor the victims of the 9/11 attacks beginning with a short walk at 1:30 p.m. today from Kalispell American Legion Post No. 137, located at 351 Fourth Avenue E.N., followed by a brief ceremony at the Flathead Veterans Memorial at Depot Park in Kalispell.

The ceremony will also recognize emergency service personnel.

Whether you can attend either event or not, we encourage you to take a personal moment of silence and meditation where you remember the innocent victims of terrorism, and ponder a world without America. That is the goal of our enemies, and only a united country will have a chance to prevent it.