Seven years ago Sept. 11, Americans woke up and began what they expected to be a routine day.
Seven years ago Sept. 12, they woke up with the knowledge of the living nightmare that had happened the day before.
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, left people in the entire country shocked, fearful and angry. There was outrage, but there was also something else stirring, something that showed in the way that people of all types of backgrounds stood together as one.
In New York, people gathered together in groups to talk, to pray, to ask for news of the missing, to light candles. They were of different faiths, different skin colors, different countries of origin, but all that seemed to flicker away in the candlelight. In that terrible time, they were simply Americans, and more importantly, human beings.
It was a scene that played out across the country.
Not everyone lost a loved one that day in New York or Washington or Pennsylvania, but many prayed for those who did, and they prayed together.
Not everyone could personally comfort those who mourned, but they let them know, in whatever way they could, that each person who died on Sept. 11 was not just another number on a list, but an individual with their own unique life.
A lot has changed since then, not the least of which is that this country, once so united in a time of enormous tragedy, is locked in a struggle within itself.
Americans disagree on just about everything, from how, and when, to end the nation’s presence in Iraq to whether, and where, to drill for oil.
Americans have always been a scrappy bunch, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The problem today seems to be that the country is split down the middle, and no one has any interest in building bridges. Political bipartisanship seems to have become sadly, even dangerously, lacking.
The country has some serious problems, and it’s going to take a lot of folks working together to get them fixed.
There’s nothing that says the solution to a problem has to come from government. Solutions can come from anyone — individuals, think tanks or grass-roots organizations. This country is full of people who are intelligent and experienced and value common sense. They are capable of solving problems and they are capable of recognizing an excellent idea when it’s put before them.
There’s no more time for bickering, by those in office or anyone else.
If Americans don’t come together on some major issues, and soon, the infighting may accomplish what the terrorists of Sept. 11 couldn’t.
Let’s put aside our differences now and work toward a better day, and an even better one the day after.
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Persinger is community editor for The Tribune. She may be reached at (812) 523-7063 or jpersinger@tribtown.com.

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