Scott Thompson: 18 years later, what have we learned from 9/11?

On Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, at 8:46 a.m., everyone’s lives changed.

The way we travel, cross borders, choose politicians, view religion, even look at each other — it all changed that morning.

On that fateful day, nearly 3,000 people lost their lives and thousands more were injured when two commercial airliners were flown into the towers of New York’s World Trade Center, while another was crashed into the Pentagon.

Further tragedy was averted when passengers aboard a fourth airliner, knowing their peril, brought their jet down in a Pennsylvania field before it could reach the hijackers’ apparent target — Washington, D.C.

All of the tragic events were the work of Al-Qaeda militants, who, with Osama bin Laden and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed as their masterminds, orchestrated the largest terrorist attack on the United States mainland.

Everyone who was old enough remembers where they were, what they were doing and who they were with when the first plane hit, and we were all left astounded that such a series of events could happen.

The violent act of war on our personal freedom and democracy put the world on red alert.

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2:09 Jon Stewart tears into Congress over 9/11 first responders: Why is this so damn hard?

Eighteen years to the day after the attack, does the date still hold the impact that it once did, or like many events, does it diminish over time with the passing of a generation?

Justin Trudeau has chosen this date — or, due to delay, was left with no other option — to attend the Governor General’s residence and drop the writ for the next federal election.

The Liberal leader had to declare the date before Sunday, the deadline for doing so, to give ample time for an Oct. 21 election.

Does it offend you the election campaign starts on Sept. 11? Should he have called the election on any other day?

The one thing that stands out as I look back is how united the world was after the attacks of 9/11.

It was a far cry from the divisiveness the world is experiencing now. Is that brutality to blame for where we are today?

Will it take another such event to bring us all back together?

Other than hate and suspicion, have we learned anything from 9/11?

Scott Thompson is the host of The Scott Thompson Show on Global News Radio 900 CHML.​​​​