Remember This: From 9/11 to Charlie Kirk’s Assassination, Why Unity Matters More Than Ever

Some weeks leave you searching for words. This one has been such a week. On September 10th, the nation lost Charlie Kirk in a shocking public assassination. A husband, a father, a man who devoted his life to speaking boldly about what he believed, silenced in an instant. Whatever you thought of his politics, the fact remains: a life was stolen, and with it a reminder of how fragile our time here is.

The very next day, we marked the 24th anniversary of September 11th. I remember exactly where I was, like so many others do, as the towers were attacked. I remember the disbelief as the news spread, the endless replay of smoke billowing into a clear blue sky, the images of people running for their lives, and the deep ache of knowing thousands would never come home. Those memories don’t fade with time. They live in us—reminders of both the horror of that day and the resilience that followed.

The pairing of these two events—one seared into our history, the other thrust upon us this very week—forces us to reflect on what truly matters. Life is precious. We say that often, but do we live like we believe it? Or do we let anger, division, and hatred consume our days until we forget the simple truth that tomorrow is never promised?

On 9/11, America came together. We stood shoulder to shoulder, strangers comforting strangers, neighbors raising flags, communities holding vigils. In the face of devastation, unity became our lifeline. We may have disagreed on countless things, but for a time, we remembered that we were one people, bound by something greater than our differences.

Today, we desperately need to find that spirit again. The assassination of Charlie Kirk isn’t just about the man—it’s about what it says of us as a society. When disagreement becomes grounds for violence, when politics replaces humanity, when our conversations turn into battlegrounds, we are losing far more than civility. We are losing the very foundation of what holds us together.

I think of the young people growing up now, who weren’t alive in 2001, and who are watching a country tear itself apart in ways that should scare us all. What do they see? Do they see a society willing to set aside differences to preserve life and liberty? Or do they see a society so consumed by winning an argument that we forget the human being on the other side?

Charlie Kirk’s death and the anniversary of 9/11 ask us the same question: what kind of people do we want to be? Do we want to live in a country where disagreement makes someone an enemy, where violence replaces debate, where hatred becomes a currency we spend freely? Or do we want to live in a country that remembers life is sacred, that unity is possible, and that we are stronger together than we ever will be apart?

I don’t pretend the answers are simple. Healing never is. But I do know this: if we don’t start valuing life more than we value scoring political points, we will lose far more than elections. We will lose the essence of who we are.

This week is a reminder—painful though it may be—that we cannot afford to let bitterness be our legacy. We must choose something better. More kindness. More love. More God. More humanity.

So remember this: life is short, life is sacred, and unity is not a luxury—it is a necessity. We cannot change what happened on September 11th, 2001. We cannot undo the assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10th, 2025. But we can choose what happens next. Tomorrow is never promised. Our chance to stand together still is.