It's astonishing how fast 11 years can slip by. Just when you've had sufficient time to gripe about the summer heat, you look up to complain that the leaves won't rake themselves.

The cycle carries on paying no attention to our pleas of "slow down" or "hurry up." In the blink of an eye, a decade is gone and an infant in arms is now pitching a no hitter at his little league game. What is more astonishing is how each of those years can dilute what were once strong felt memories and emotions.

How many times in the past 11 years have you stopped to think about the moment you learned our nation had fallen under attack on September 11th? Last week, as you flipped the calendar to the next month, did September 11 stick out to you the way it has done in years past or was it just another Tuesday hiding in the busy workweek?

Together, we vowed to stand as one nation, fight for freedom and protect the core values that had made innocent Americans a target for attack.

It is disheartening to see the divisive, hateful course that our country has taken since that day we stood in solidarity. Now, apathy has become the unrelenting force eroding our foundation, creating a great abyss where patriotism is left to drown while the principles of our founding fathers wash ashore.

The attacks of 9/11 were the work of pure evil played out for the entire world to see. We can't be naive to the fact that nations who do not value our freedom and liberty will continue to go to great lengths to ensure that what is right and just for humanity collapses like the Twin Towers. Call it ignorance, jealousy or just pure evil.

No matter how you label it there will never be an answer to justify these atrocities. I shake my head when I think that on this 11th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, we as Americans are giving terrorists the upper hand- doing their dirty work for them. We take for granted our freedoms. We overlook the brave soldiers who volunteer time away from home, family, and loved ones to protect the rights of each and every American. Yes, even the rights of those who protest against the very existence of our armed forces and seek to eradicate military funding.

Brave soldiers willingly face the ultimate sacrifice to protect and uphold the promise which our founding fathers built this nation upon: freedom. It's not something you can buy with money, hold in your hand or admire in a store. Yet it is the most precious gift ever given to the citizens of this nation. One so precious it is worth dying for. This gift was bought and paid for with the blood, sweat and tears of honest, hard-working Americans.

Those who are determined to destroy our nation and the freedom it upholds want nothing more than to see us collapse by destroying each other. We are on the fast track to do more damage to ourselves than they could ever dream of.

It is time that we remember what was under attack on September 11, 2011. It was not just our land or our people; it was our principles, our values and our foundation. Remembering should not be a case of overwhelming ourselves with the anger and sadness evoked by those unspeakable acts. Rather, we must continue to grow and learn from these despicable acts.

Each time our minds and our hearts return to the piles of rubble in New York City, the charred wreckage in a peaceful Pennsylvania pasture, or the noble halls of the Pentagon, we are guided to make decisions that strengthen the nation our founding fathers had envisioned- honoring freedom, liberty and individual rights.

Our nation's leaders have wasted too much time shrinking away from our adversaries, apologetic for the successful nation that was built by our founding fathers.

We remember to rebuild so that sacrifices made by brave men and women overseas will not be in vain. We remember to honor the brave men and women who willingly choose to serve and protect our freedom as much as we remember those who weren't given the choice of life or freedom on September 11, 2011 in New York, Pennsylvania or Washington DC.

It's as if each soul lost that day serves as a guardian angel over our nation- guiding us back to the path clearly marked by our founding fathers.

How long have we ignored their gentle nudges?

It seems far too long that our nation has been headed down a dark and dangerous path. Joining together, we must move our great country forward and protect our citizens by strengthening our military, stimulating our economy, advancing education for our nation's youth and restoring the innovative, entrepreneurial spirit of America to our communities.

This September 11, remember the day we lost our innocence as a nation and remember the moment we stood together promising that our future would reflect the freedom and prosperity that our founding fathers envisioned.

What path will we take tomorrow?