by Quinn Delamater, Washington Stand
As we approach the 25th anniversary of the fatal day that permanently altered American civilization, experts say national memory is in jeopardy. Heritage Foundation Fellow Corey DeAngelis told The Washington Stand that he believes these are the stakes when it comes to preserving the truth about September 11, 2001. “Kids need to know who hit us, why they hit us, and how first responders ran toward the fire,” he insisted.
According to Beth Hillman, 59, president of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, “Many in my generation remember exactly where we were on that horrific day,” but “100 million Americans were not even born or are too young to remember.”
Chief Executive Officer of the Teacher Freedom Alliance Ryan Walters said on “Washington Watch” that during his tenure as a U.S. history teacher for 10 years, it became apparent to him that the way some schools approach teaching about 9/11 is detrimental to young people.
“These are students [who] didn’t live during 9/11, so what they’re being taught in the classroom is so important, that they understand the significance of that. And what we saw right from the beginning are groups like the [National Education Association], [and] the teachers unions came in with their guidance around to teach 9/11,” Walters explained.
“They gut the intentions of the hijackers. They gut any mention of radical Islam in those teachings, and it really becomes very glossed over. When you look at blue states, there’s barely any mentions of it. When you look at red states, there’s some, but there’s not enough because so many states have allowed left-wing groups and the teachers unions to push what’s being taught in schools, in the curriculum.”
A 2026 poll by Pew Research Center found that 10% of adults today only know about the attacks through information others have taught them. Sixty percent of these adults 18 to 24 report first learning about 9/11 in class or through schoolwork.