9-11 is just history to millions of Americans.

Americans divide their lives into two phases – – Before 9-11 and After 9-11.   For most Americans, our country changed significantly and in many different ways.

But for about 75 million Americans – there was no Before 9-11.   In the 15 years  since the event millions of children have been born and those under the age of five when 9-11 happened, have no concept of life before 9-11.  While we reflect on what we’ve lost and how our country has changed, to those under the age of 20 – – 9-11 is just something they read about or see on the History Channel.   To them, the way life is today, is the way life has always been.

The long security lines to get into public buildings, into football games and on airplanes, is normal to them.   That’s the way its always been.   To us, those lines are indicitive of the freedom and the innocence we’ve lost.

Why does the fact that 75 million young Americans have no concept of life before 9-11 – is of concern to us.   Because, they have no stake in the war on terror.  During their lifetimes, they’ve had no terrorist attack that equates to 9-11.   Terror is of foreign origin and what terror we have in the United States is minor and insignificant to them.   Deaths on the streets of Chicago have more importance than a terrorist attack at a Mosque in Texas.

A historian told me once that we have two kinds of history – –  live history and dead history.   To those of us of age during 2001, we have our live history.   To those born since or too young to remember, 9-11 it’s dead history and has no meaning.

It is our job, to educate those young people as to the significance of the event and how it impacts them today.   But, I suspect that all of our teaching is nothing more than preaching and as more and more young people enter the world, 9-11 will have even less significance.

If you want examples, look at Pearl Harbor or the assassination of President Kennedy.

That’s just the way that time heals all wounds.