September 11 Didn’t End on September 11 ⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains strong language and frank discussions of terrorism, death, trauma, 911 calls, discrimination, and the September 11, 2001 attacks. Listener discretion is advised. Twenty-five years later, September 11 is not simply a chapter in an American history book. In this deeply personal and uncensored episode of Palsy Power, Cody and Tylia look beyond the images that have been replayed for decades and talk about the people, consequences, questions, and controversies that remain with America today. We remember the extraordinary courage of Welles Crowther—the “Man in the Red Bandanna”—and other ordinary people who became heroes on an unimaginable morning. We discuss the haunting 911 calls and the survivors who are still here to tell their stories. We also confront one of the most frustrating realities surrounding 9/11: 25 years later, the legal process still isn't finished. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the attacks, and other alleged plotters are currently scheduled for a military trial beginning in 2028. We talk about the emotions expressed by 9/11 families during the 25th-anniversary remembrance, including their continuing demands for answers and accountability, and what it means that the anniversary ceremony has now added a seventh moment of silence recognizing those who later died from 9/11-related illnesses. Cody and Tylia also remember where they were when America changed, what the world felt like in the years after September 11, and how growing up in post-9/11 America helped shape the people—and the voices behind Palsy Power—that they are today. But this conversation doesn't stop in 2001. We tackle the new controversy surrounding how Texas plans to teach high-school students about Islam and September 11, including the decision to identify “radical Islam” as motivating the attacks and concerns from Muslim students, advocates, educators, and some curriculum experts about stereotyping an entire faith because of terrorism committed by extremists. And we make something very clear: condemning Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda, and the murder of innocent people does not require condemning Muslims as a people. Understanding the historical circumstances and motivations behind terrorism is not the same thing as excusing terrorism or sympathizing with its perpetrators. We talk openly about why Americans must be able to teach the truth about September 11 while refusing to judge innocent people because of their race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion. This episode is emotional. It's uncomfortable. At times, it's angry. And yes, Cody and Tylia use some strong language. Because September 11 didn't end when the towers fell. For survivors, families, first responders, communities, and an entire generation of Americans who grew up in the world it created, its consequences are still being lived today. This is Palsy Power: September 11 Didn’t End on September 11.
