Like all anniversaries, this Sept. 11 prompts us to reflect on what has changed in the past decade. Certainly, the “war on terror” has brought fundamental changes to America’s place in the world, our international priorities and our system of laws.
But we should also look ahead, with an eye toward what kind of nation we hope to be 10 years from now. Although people may disagree about whether the past decade’s changes have made us safer, there is no doubt they have undermined our historical commitment to human rights. Laws and policies once considered outrageous departures from our founding principles are the new normal.
