We’re halfway through our series, “A VG Writer’s Roundtable 25 years after 9/11: 4 Questions, 4 Days”, with today’s article focused on Day 3, Question 3.  As mentioned, the premise of our series is simple: a conversation built around 4 questions over 4 days, between women who lived through 9/11, and who write every week for Victory Girls Blog. You can find Day 1, Question 1, here, and Day 2, Question 2, here.

And yes. We have goals with this project.

The first goal is an invitation to answer these questions along with us. We want to hear from you — a status check if you will.  And secondly, we compel you to remember the events of 9/11 accurately, to teach the events deliberately, and to refuse the “comfortable forgetting” parts, that always threatens to settle in, twenty-five years down the road.

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Question 3, Day 3

The Introduction.

A nation reveals a distinct part of its character not only in the moment of attack, but in the long years that follow. After 9/11 America showed it could still fight, still innovate, still bury its dead with honor, and then return to the work of living free. Yet all of us know that resolve is not self-sustaining. It’s been eroded by political calculation, by disgusting cultural, class & gender self-loathing, by the quiet appeasement — masked as a “necessary decision” – by some in the political class, that our national security — which should protect liberties — is less important than appearing woke-enlightened or sophisticated to the world, and frankly, by looking away and making excuses, instead of calling out evil.

Perhaps some fronts have held and expanded. As I write this, I’m trying to think of one… perhaps a structural, super-majority (at least on paper) conservative – originalist judiciary.

Others have been assaulted and deliberately surrendered—in the name of tolerance, in the name of exhaustion, even, perhaps in the name of “never again” being called “nationalistic” or even “too American.” The question is not whether we remember what happened on 9/11 — and the 25 years following. I think we remember. It’s whether we still possess the focused, national will that made those who died that day, and all the sacrifice over the years since, a meaningful, intrinsic part of our American DNA. It’s definitely in mine for the rest of my life.

Below, the VG writers answer Question 3 using a clear dividing line of strength and yes, surrender. — Kate

The Question.

Where has America’s resolve held firm, and where has it softened or been deliberately weakened?

Our Responses.

Carol – In the days after September 11, there wasn’t much question about America’s resolve. We knew we had been attacked, we knew there was an enemy, and we knew America had to defend herself. Twenty-five years later, I’m not sure we can say that with the same confidence.

Our resolve has held because millions of Americans still love this country, serve it, fly its flag and believe it is worth defending. But even our military has gone through periods when politics and social agendas seemed to compete with its most basic mission: defending America and winning wars.

The weakening didn’t stop there. Democrats and much of our educational system have spent years teaching Americans to focus on the country’s failures while barely teaching the history that explains why America is exceptional. Political correctness made us afraid to name threats and assimilation became offensive.

Christians bear responsibility, too. Too many stayed quiet while Christianity declined in American life and other values filled the space.

America’s resolve hasn’t disappeared. But we’ve spent twenty-five years chipping away at the confidence, faith and shared identity that once made that resolve almost instinctive.

Darleen – Americans still will act and react to crisis as we always have. We rally to help people in emergencies – from the 9/11 Boatlift to the 2025 wildfires in California, private citizen response is there even as official agencies fail or are overwhelmed. This speaks to the fact that so many ordinary Americans carry core American values.

Unfortunately, these values – of self-responsibility, civility, and charity have been under assault from major cultural institutions for decades. Americans, especially center-right citizens, largely withdrew (or were forced out) of the most influential of such institutions. Academia and media are 99.9% pure Left and the hollowing out of American identity continues.

Deanna – We still have the capacity to be properly horrified by acts of terror.  We no longer have the capacity as a society to condemn those who perpetrated the acts.  There is always an excuse, and the media (in general) enables those excuses.  Americans no longer believe in absolute evil, and that is a huge problem.

Jodi – Oh, boy, have we been weakened. Both by what we now dub “suicidal empathy” and by those who wield it as a weapon to shame and silence those who recognize “tolerance’s” true goal: the destruction of America and her people.

We see it by swearing-in to Congress those whose primary political platform is the dismantling of our entire governing system. We see it in those who wield the siren song of socialism, weaseling their way into power with the promise of “free” everything. We see it in the wide-spread violence toward Jews. And we see it in the assassination of a generational figure whose message of love and patriotism threatened to derail their communist train and further steer our young people away from the lies of the left.

But there is hope—in the legions of men demanding justice for victimized children, in those who unabashedly express their love of country, and in a young woman who’s fearlessly defending women’s rights while tossing up bank shots as a professional athlete.

So if we’ve learned anything in the past 25 years, it’s that someone has to start the movement—to firmly put their foot down and ignite a fire. Don’t be afraid to be the one.

Lisa – Our resolve has held firm as being one of the most outspoken, accepting nations in this world. We are a nation of many, beautiful cultures and different viewpoints. We are able to keep to our cultural roots and share these viewpoints freely, regardless of how crazy they may be to some. This is part of our great American tapestry.

As I’ve said above, though, there is currently another attack happening here. Fundamentalist Muslims who hate America may not get away with a 9/11-style attack, but they can attack in other ways-working their way from the insides of our government and municipalities-on out.

One way to do this is by mainstreaming. Michigan. Minnesota. And, yes, where we thought it would never happen…New York.

Nina – Appeasement has weakened us. Rules of engagement to ‘make nice’ not only weakened us; it led to soldiers getting injured or killed. Pandering and hesitancy has weakened us. Deciding to hide that 9/11 was an actual terror attack has hurt us all.

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How would you answer Question 3? Let us know in the comments below.

Tomorrow’s Writer’s Roundtable question is:

As women—mothers, daughters, sisters, citizens—how do we keep the memory of 9/11 clear and honest for those who will never have lived it?

Please join us then, for our final 9/11 Writer’s Roundtable – Day 4, Question 4.

Featured Photo Credit: photo used is original artwork by Victory Girls writer and graphics artist, Darleen Click.