9/11 changed the U.S.; can we change back?

TL;DR

The 25th anniversary of 9/11 is a time to assess changes that were hoped to be permanent but weren't, and others that future generations may seek to reverse.
Initially, 9/11 fostered unity, with NATO invoking its defense clause and Americans honoring first responders; President Bush famously stated Islam was not the enemy.
However, much of this unifying sentiment faded quickly, and lasting changes like the Department of Homeland Security, TSA, ICE, the Patriot Act, and the surveillance state were established.
Local police became militarized, and the U.S. entered 'forever wars' in Iraq and beyond, none of which had direct ties to 9/11.
The article posits that 9/11 altered American daily life and civic culture, drawing parallels to other historical negative turning points such as the end of Reconstruction and isolationist policies in the 1920s and '30s.
The author hopes that in 25 more years, the U.S. will have more seriously reckoned with its identity and future aspirations.

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