Every individual has experiences in his or her life from which valuable lessons can be learned. Rarely do we as a society, have a collective experience that provides so many valuable lessons that if remembered, can positively affect us for generations. September 11 is one of those experiences.

Over the past week you could not open a paper, watch television, or talk to friends without being reminded about that horrible day 10 years ago. You remember the timeline, what you were doing, the horrible images, the brave images of first responders, and the memory of those who were tragically taken from us, simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

We will always remember those we lost on that day as well as the ones we lost afterward in our fight to protect our nation from further attacks, and to protect our liberty for this generation and future generations yet to be born.

I also hope that we remember how we, as a nation, responded in the face of adversity. We pulled together, we rallied around our leaders and we took action; over these last 10 years we have remembered that our strategic goal is “never again.” Naturally, we have had debates, sometimes heated, on the tactical actions taken — from the Patriot Act to the invasion of Iraq —  in order to achieve our strategic goal. But one thing stays universally agreed upon; we can never let an individual, group of people, nation state, or extremist religion hijack our freedoms.

In looking at our shared experience directly after September 11, we can apply some of the lessons learned to today’s concerns. Granted, what we are dealing with in regards to national problems does not compare to the tragedy of September 11, but the lessons are applicable nonetheless.

Unity in the face of adversity! For me, that is the No. 1 lesson that I believe we should apply to a growing list of our nation’s problems. I am hard pressed to find any issue since September 11, which the majority of Americans can agree upon. Social Security, national debt, and the list goes on… What they all lack is a strategic goal, the “never again” statement. Can we as Americans agree that we cannot spend more than we bring in? It is a simple concept, and if we can unify around that concept that would be a starting point for all future conversations. Just like our response to the attack on our country, we will disagree with the tactical decisions, but we can all agree upon the outcome…”never again.”

At the end of the day, it’s all about people. Today, thousands of families will deal with the loss of their loved ones, like they have done every day since their loss. Thousand more will deal with the constant dangers they face protecting our freedoms; millions of Americans will pay homage to their sacrifices. We cannot forget that the actions of a few in Government affect people. The Social Security solvency debate is not faceless; it has to do with promises made to people, you, your family and neighbors, and whether we have the ability to keep those promises. Whatever decisions are made concerning Social Security, we must remember that decisions have consequences that will affect the people of this country.

Being proud of our country  is a good thing. After September 11th, we were awakened to the fact that this is a great country; despite mistakes made along the way, we have reason to be proud of what we have built and what future generations of Americans will create, as a result of our hard work, determination and sacrifices.

I fear that over the last few years it has become popular by an ever- growing segment of Americans to belittle this country, cast doubt on our traditions and try to devalue our pride in this country. The moment we stop being proud of who we are, what we have done, and start attacking each other is the moment we stop trying to do great things. Then we will truly not have a country of which future generations can be proud.

So, today, please honor those lost, those who continually sacrifice to protect us and those who are rebuilding, and take a moment to think about what we have learned since that dreadful day 10 years ago. For my generation, lessons based on this one national shared experience have defined us and will shape the course of this country for generations to come.

Jason Levesque is a former Army drill sergeant turned CEO and founder of Argo Marketing Group, a marketing logistics company. He is married with three children and resides in Auburn. You may reach him at [email protected].