Defining moment

Ten years have passed since 19 men changed the world on Sept. 11, taking control of four planes on the East Coast and crashing them into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon,  and a field in Pennsylvania. But the memory continues to haunt many.

Images of the hole in the side of the Pentagon, the home of the Department of Defense, made the country appear unprepared.

Photos of the crash sight where passengers of Flight 93 regained control of the plane and refused to allow its hijackers to kill thousands more showed the unity of its citizens.

But the country was frightened by the black smoke pouring from the World Trade Center as burning jet fuel consumed the floors of the Twin Towers, altering the recognizable New York City skyline forever.

These symbols of American capitalism and prosperity looked more like the chimneys of log cabins.

And two hours after being hit, the towers collapsed on themselves like a house of cards, killing nearly 3,000 people in an instant.

These attacks reminded the United States it is not invincible, but in fact quite vulnerable.

Maybe Americans will never erase the memory of Sept. 11; maybe they never should.