Editorial: Marking a dark anniversary

Next Sunday, members of a dozen Clayton-area churches will gather at Amelia Christian Church to mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.

There will, no doubt, be solemn words spoken about the tragedy of that day, the thousands of lives lost during the attacks and in the wars that have followed.

Sept. 11, 2001, was a watershed moment for this country in so many ways.

The terrorist attacks opened our eyes to a religion most of us knew nothing about. We have learned more in the past 10 years about different world religious views than many of us ever thought we would. There remains a lot to be learned, particularly about the Muslim faith.

The plane crashes also showed us something we previously thought impossible after lessons learned from Pearl Harbor. Our country is vulnerable to attack by an invading force. Much of that comes with the open nature of the American society. We are expected to welcome nearly everyone in. That has changed dramatically in the 10 years since the terrorist attacks.

Flying in and out of airports in this country is much more invasive upon our personal privacy than ever before. Our government has taken major steps in an effort to curb civil liberties.

Next Sunday, when the crowd gathers at Amelia Christian Church, those in attendance will be marking the anniversary of the day many in this nation sat up and took notice that we aren't living in the bucolic world we thought