Yesterday marked the 11th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, and although memories of the events of that day fade, they must never be forgotten.Nearly 3,000 people died at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania, among them Bermudians Boyd Gatton and Rhondelle Tankard and former Saltus Grammar School student Robert Higley.And on that day, a certain innocence died as well, as those who practised terrorism proved that there were no limits to their actions. They showed that innocent people will be sacrificed to the political goals of those who have rejected peaceful means for effecting change.In these times, those who believe that democratic principles, free and open debate, tolerance and openness will bring about a better world cannot abandon these beliefs but need to hold onto them all the more fiercely.The last 11 years have seen successes in the war on terror, but failures too.The world is, in some ways, a safer place, but the cost has been huge. And some actions taken in the name of the war on terror, including the invasion of Iraq, have proven to be costly both in lives and in the moral authority of democratic nations.Four years after President Obama said it would be closed, the internment centre at Guantánamo Bay remains open, and continues to be a running sore which has even drawn Bermuda in.Indeed, it is worth remembering that the Uighurs who now make Bermuda their home were captured in Afghanistan after September 11, so they will be a durable reminder for this Island of those attacks as well.Bermuda and the world have learned much since September 11. We have learned that nowhere is safe from terrorists and no one can afford to let down their guard.We have learned that increased safety brings with it increased costs, both financial, economic and in personal liberties.We have learned that there are no easy answers for defeating terrorism and its sponsors, and that so-called hard power is not always effective.We have learned that only a small minority in any country support terrorism, and that with determination, they can be marginalised and forced out.Failing to fight terrorism will let down the victims of September 11, and the victims of other terrorist attacks around the world.But doing so requires a commitment to democratic principles, both in the execution of the fight and in persuading others of the rightness of democracy’s cause.The world has been witnessing the Arab Spring for more than a year now, and has seen dictatorships fall. Contrary to popular fears, not all countries have chosen Islamist parties to replace them, and where they have, there is hope that they will follow the Turkish example of moderation and engagement with the West.But what is striking is to see people seek popular representation and pluralism in a region which too often is perceived as monolithic and intolerant.Slowly and steadily, the application of democratic principles of constitutional government can succeed and help to make the world a better and safer place.