Twenty-four years ago, on 9/11, the world changed forever. In some ways, it feels like it was a simpler world then.

But back then on September 12, something remarkable happened: We were united. Flags hung from porches, firehouses and overpasses. Democrats and Republicans stood intertwined together on the Capitol steps and sang God Bless America . Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA shot back up the charts and became an anthem of patriotism. For a brief moment, it felt like America knew itself and had never been prouder.

Fast forward almost two and a half decades, and the American flag doesn’t mean the same thing it once did. For me (and a shrinking majority), it still symbolizes freedom, pride and sacrifice. For others, especially younger generations, it feels like a symbol of whoever’

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