When the terrorist attacks were committed on this country 20 years ago, we had one shot to be the United States. One shot to honor the victims of the tragedy by clamoring for peace and restraint. Unfortunately, we blew it.

We spiraled into belligerence and terror. We spiraled down the bowels of Islamophobia that marginalized Americans of this country in need of protection. Americans on their driver’s licenses and birth certificates. Americans in their oath of allegiance and certificate of naturalization.

Suddenly, this country’s policies were enacted because of Islamophobia. The Patriot Act of October 2001 gave law enforcement broader power to target Muslim communities without the use of warrants. We watched as immigration policies in the U.S. suddenly started folding their welcoming arms and began to shift from paths toward citizenship to deportation. Suddenly, Muslim communities were not only victims of the attacks as Americans, they were being blamed for them.

We can honor the victims of 9/11 by working for peace and the understanding that this world is only as great as our collective work toward stamping out injustice and discrimination. And that needs to be the new American way toward the new American dream.

Gino Ferretti

South Park

The writer is communications coordinator for the Western Pennsylvania chapter of Veterans for Peace.

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