9/11: Why does it unite Americans this way?

While glancing at the news today, I came across the realization that almost every single front page story was about the tenth anniversary of 9/11. And then I wondered: what is it that makes all Americans come together in remembrance of this day? Why is it that Americans fight for over 350 days of the year but treat this day with such unity? I thought about it and came up with a theory. There are two main reasons for this behavior:

1.) Americans view 9/11 as a personal attack on themselves and their close ones. Compared to many acts of violence in this country, 9/11 was not specifically directed at a certain group of people - it was directed at the general population. Since innocent civilians were the targets of the attack, people began to think of their own lives. Anybody could have perished on that fateful day. It was just a matter of coincidence that certain people were targets for the terrorists and others weren't. This sense of fear and concern is a main reason for the unity seen on this day.

2.) Americans, as different as they are, feel like they belong to one, single country. When a major landmark in New York was struck by commercial planes, to many it felt as if America was falling apart. So although there was no direct impact on most people, Americans began to feel as if a part of them had been taken away by the terrorists. America is an idea - an idea based on freedom, liberty, and justice - and Americans felt as if they lost this idea following the attack. So when 9/11 came by today, most people came together to support the message of America.

I'm proud that the fellow citizens of our country are able to find a day to unite and stand strong. If you watch a lot of news as I do, you are probably tired of the fighting going on - as justifiable as it may be. But even though I take a strong political stance as well, I believe its necessary for Americans to understand that as important as politics may be, there are innocent lives that were lost ten years ago that need to be remembered.