Though we shouldn’t forget Sept. 11, 2001, we need to move on from allowing that day’s events to dominate our political agenda.

We also can’t place the blame for this shift solely on the executive branch. We are all to blame for losing sight of more important issues. Unfortunately, those who opposed this policy shift didn’t fight successfully to mold the agenda.

After Sept. 11, we attacked installations in Afghanistan that plotted to attack us and sent a message. We did what we needed to several years ago.

Six years later, the war on terrorism should not receive more attention than our nation’s perceived drug war.

Osama bin Laden is an inspirational figure as long as we allow him to be – as long as we allow him to be more than the isolated, marginal figurehead our bounty has made him.

America’s political priorities need to shift from national security. While we try to take on the world’s ills, our country is loosing sight of its domestic agenda. The continued focus on spreading democracy around the world is coming at the cost of the preeminent democracy here.

How can we be the example if we can’t resolve our issues with outdated policies such as our outdated energy model, health care and social security systems?

We need dramatic campaign finance reform. Most politicians don’t want it and as voters we must demand it.

The way to make ourselves an eventual power externally is through strengthening internally.

We need to recover our credibility as a nation. Becoming a nation with domestic efficiency and diplomatically backing away from our aggressive international policy is needed to recoup international sway.

To caution, we are not advocating removal from engagement in the international scene.

We don’t want to be an isolationist country, we just don’t want to be an interventionist nation anymore.

The tragic deaths in New York, Pennsylvania and in Washington D.C. were reprehensible. Those events should not cause more harm due to overreaction years later. Maybe we should never forget but losing sight of our own people in our outrage is something we couldn’t forgive.

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