Since 9/11, how far have we come as a society?

It was 16 years ago today when the towers came down.

It was a beautiful sunny September morning. I was feeding traffic reports from home to three Philadelphia radio stations when my father called me and gave me the news. At first we thought it was an accident, then when the second plane hit we knew. I then spent the rest of the day on WDAS-FM giving updates on the situation as well as traffic reports. Since my mind was racing trying to get the information out, I really hadn't had time to reflect until I was off the air, some 12 hours later.

You cannot live in New Jersey and not know someone who was affected. My cousin Billy worked in the second tower and was the last to get on the ferry taking people away. He's never been the same. Mike Tanner, the quarterback of my high school football team at St. Joe's of the Palisades lost his life that day as did so many others. Many of my friends who are police and firefighters including Capt. Robert Pisani were called to work at the remains and told me the horror of what they were seeing.

I also remember people being more caring about one another in the aftermath. Unfortunately, that's not something that continues today. I recently took to social media and asked for your thoughts on that and here's what I received:

Richard Hall — We haven't moved much forward. Technology and few advances have changed. No flying cars. Al Qaeda is now ISIS. Kids are still mean to each other. Cops killing others.

E Jillian Brontee — Considering we still have open borders, I seriously wonder where the freakin' adults are who used to run the government. Sixteen years later, we finally have a POTUS who takes this seriously and half the nation is fighting him on securing the border. We wasted 8 years of nonsense with the last POTUS who had no ideal wtf he was doing. Hopefully with President Trump, we will be having a different conversation next year. It was on the last POTUS watch that we actually got Osama Bin Laden. Just sayin'

Michael Ferrell — We haven't come that far with hateful ideologies expanding around the world (ISIS, North Korea and so on). We also haven't learned to denounce the evil, and not just ignore it. The perspective that all people are good and like us blocks us from seeing those who would quickly end our way of life blinds most of us to the evil.

Andrew Chick Pisani — I was on vacation in Manasquan and was recalled to duty. Got onto the GSP & into a caravan of firemen, medical & cops heading north, (90 to 100 mph). We entered the NJTP eastern roadway which was closed to traffic. It was open to emergency vehicles only. I became the lead car doing 135 mph and blasted thru the 16E tollbooths at 85 mph. Manasquan to Union City in 35 minutes. Reported for duty till about 10:30 pm. Went home and later received a phone call for help from a childhood friend to find his sister. Went back to HQ & arranged a search into Jersey City. Found her later that night. To answer your question of How far have we come? We have become a very selfish & narcissistic society. During 911 & up to 6 months after, people were respectful and caring toward one another and polite to cops. After 6 months, it was disrespect and contempt as usual. Today, that disrespect has turned into outright attacks and falsehoods against police. People have no respect for one another, especially from millennials. I say this from my observations of people, and by what is seen on TV. Reality shows (what a joke) like the Kardashians are a prime examples of narcissism. News media spewing their agenda, distorting facts & truth with deception. But these are just my observations.

Shawn Kilroy — We've gone about 50 years backwards since then. The terrorists acheived their goal.

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Steve Trevelise is on the air from Monday-Thursday, 7 to 11 p.m. Tweet him @realstevetrev or @nj1015.