What do you remember about 9/11/2001? Do you remember anything at all?

I’m sure you’ve seen the yard signs popping up all over town. They say The Heartland Honors 9/11. It’s to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

I was at the press conference where Mayor Ewing, Police Chief Schmaderer, Fire Chief Kathy Bossman, and others announced the plans to commemorate those events.

The room was filled with fire, police, and other first responders. Many of whom weren’t even born then or couldn’t have been more than 5 years old when it happened. To them, 9/11 is ancient history. But to many of us who were adults when the tragedy occurred, the memory is still very fresh.

When America celebrated the 25th anniversary of the end of WWII, I was only 10 years old. The nation remembered the day the war ended, but my friends and I sure didn’t. We weren’t even alive during the war. But we were living in the world that war and its aftermath created.

My parents knew a world without the nuclear bomb, a world where women’s rights were ignored, and segregation was accepted.

I never knew that world.

Just like all those young people at that press conference never knew a world where we didn’t have troops in combat zones in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran. A world where we weren’t constantly fighting terrorism.

I knew that world. They don’t.

They say the only constant in life is change, and 9/11 changed America, in some ways for the better, some ways for the worse.

The Heartland Honors 9/11 is an area-wide event to remember the good things that happened. It is an effort to bring back that sense of unity and service that we had immediately following that horrific attack.

Starting September 1st through September 11th, SHARE Omaha, SHARE Iowa, and the United Way of the Midlands will be putting on a full-court press to encourage young people and reinforce older generations to understand the importance of helping others and working together as a community, just like we did after 9/11.

They’ll be highlighting ways to get involved to make Omaha, America, and the world a better place.

Politicians and many in the media talk about how divided we are as a country. And if all you look at is the political landscape or opinions on individual issues, it’s easy to believe that’s true.

But if you look beyond that, you’ll see that we have a lot more in common than we’d like to admit.

The Heartland Honors 9/11 is an effort to remind us that we are all in this together.

Immediately following that terrorist attack, America came together. People prayed together for the victims. They donated to the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, the United Way, and other church and civic organizations to do their part to help.

Nobody cared if the victims were Republicans or Democrats. Nobody cared if they were straight, gay, or transgender. Nobody cared if you were here legally or illegally. We just knew that people were hurting and we had to do something to help.

Unfortunately, that unity didn’t last very long. The Heartland Honors 9/11 is an effort to rekindle that feeling in America. It’s an effort to thank the first responders and the others who help those in need every day.

There’s no need to wait for September to roll around. There are little things we can do every day. Reach out to someone who has different political, religious, or social beliefs. Get to know them. Have them get to know you. Rekindle old friendships that may have been strained in the current political environment.

Donate to a church or charity that you support. Spend less time on social media and more time being social.

Volunteer. Be a part of the 11 days of service. Visit https://heartlandhonors9-11.com to find out more details on how you can contribute.

It shouldn’t take a tragedy to bring the country together. It shouldn’t be a national emergency to get us to volunteer or care for others.

You may have been too young to recall what America was like on that fateful day, but we can’t forget the men and women who lost their lives that day, and always remember that we are much better when we serve others and are united, not divided.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.