The Day After

On the day after the winner of the upcoming presidential election is known, the losing side is going to be very disappointed. Since the election is just too close to call, that means anyone reading this, no matter which side you support, should be prepared to be on the losing side. As part of that preparation, you might want to ask yourself: how will I react? Will you react in anger, in disgust, in frustration? Or will you just check out and say the hell with all this? It is difficult to know ahead of time, but less difficult if you take the time to think about it beforehand.

I know many people on both sides see this as an all-or-nothing election, that if their side loses, it is the end of the world as they know it. This attitude mirrors the tremendous divisiveness that troubles our country today. I believe that divisiveness, more than either candidate, is the real threat to our democracy and our nation. We are having a hard time with opposing viewpoints right now. When the idea of “agreeing to disagree” is belittled as morally bankrupt, we are in trouble. When tolerance is in short supply, the danger of a violent confrontation is unacceptably heightened. Realistically, none of that is going to change overnight, of course. But for the sake of our family, friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens, we need to take a step, even if it’s just a baby step, towards reconciliation and tolerance and unity. But how?

I have a suggestion. I have been thinking a lot lately about 9/11. It seems a little unreal to me that we are coming up on the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that left 2,977 innocent people dead (2,605 were American citizens). It seems to me that day was the last time our country was truly united. Unfortunately, that unity slipped away too quickly with the political missteps of the Bush administration. Still, we saw the unity on that day. We know it can happen. My suggestion: let’s recreate it by remembering not just the tragic events of that day, but by remembering the heroism of the average, everyday Americans that so shined like a beacon of resistance and courage and, yes, unity.

Take Captain Patrick J. "Paddy" Brown, for example, a distinguished member of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) who made the ultimate sacrifice during the September 11, 2001, attacks. Captain Brown, a Vietnam veteran and former Marine, was renowned for his leadership, dedication, and unwavering commitment to serving others. On 9/11, as the captain of Ladder Company 3, Brown led his team into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Ordered to evacuate, Paddy Brown refused, choosing instead to remain with his men and continue rescue operations. If you think it will be hard after election day to put aside your anger and fears, think about Captain Brown. What he and the other first responders who died that day did was truly hard – and heroic. And ultimately, it was a sacrifice in the name of unity. Afterall, to sacrifice your life for strangers, you must believe that their lives mattered, you must feel connected to them in a very fundamental way. Therein lies unity.

Then there is Flight 93 and the start of the resistance led by Todd Beamer. After flight 93 was hijacked, Mr. Beamer and other passengers learned from phone calls about the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Realizing that their plane was likely part of a larger plot, Mr. Beamer and several other passengers decided to try to overpower the hijackers and regain control of the aircraft. Although unsuccessful, their actions forced the hijackers to crash the plane into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, instead of its intended target, which is believed to have been either the White House or the U.S. Capitol. The passengers, selflessly trying to save each other and most likely saving other innocent people, united for the good of their fellow passengers and their fellow citizens. If you think it will be hard after election day to put aside your anger and fears, think about Flight 93 and Todd Beamer. What he and his fellow passengers did was truly hard and heroic.

Of course, there are so many more stories from that day of heroism, sacrifice and, ultimately, of unity. On the day after the election, if you are feeling angry and fearful, remember the selfless heroes of 9/11. Remember what they sacrificed for their fellow citizens, and remember Paddy Brown when he said, “I refuse that order,” and marched into hell to save people he didn’t even know and remember Todd Beamer and his fellow passengers as they united to resist the terror that invaded our country that day.

As Americans and as human beings, we do not need to hate and demonize each other because we disagree. Forget which side did it first or did it most. That matters less than realizing that no matter your political leanings or policy preferences, our country does not prosper and move forward if we accept disunity as our fundamental way of life. On the day after, take that first step towards unity, whatever it looks like for you. And if someone tells you not to do it, refuse that order. Or if someone says it is impossible, just tell him or her: “let’s roll.”