The Enemy Is Us

I was three months pregnant with my first child on Sept. 11, 2001. I sat and watched in horror as the second plane hit the Twin Towers. I remember feeling helpless and overwhelmed with guilt as I came to terms with the fact that I was bringing an innocent child into an evil and cruel world.

The aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks had a unifying effect on the United States.

Eighteen years later, a new enemy has emerged: the “active shooter.” Today our country is divided. Instead of “United We Stand,” our new motto reads more like “Hate and Violence Tolerated.”

The terror that exists today is being perpetrated by our fellow Americans. Our president denies any problem exists at all; instead, he blames a mental health crisis as the reason why innocent people are being gunned down at schools, concerts and Walmarts.

Congress refuses to address gun violence. Our politicians are too afraid to even discuss gun control, let alone try and figure out a solution for it.

I shouldn’t have to feel afraid to send my children to school. The events of 9/11 brought people together from different backgrounds and cultures. It was Americans vs. Terrorist. I was proud to be an American.

Sadly, those days are far behind us. Today we live in a war zone and its American vs. American.

Amber Adeboi

Eugene