September is always a great transitional month. It marks the end of the summer season, although summer does not technically end until the third week of the month. Most of us consider the end of summer to come with Labor Day or the start of the school year. Football season begins — always a welcome time in our area!

The fall/winter hunting seasons also begin. Pennsylvania has one of the largest hunting populations in the nation, with hundreds of thousands of residents purchasing licenses. It has been a privilege to serve as the majority chair of the House Game and Fisheries Committee these past two sessions. As I come to end of my days as a state representative, one of my greatest pleasures in the State House has been serving on and then being the chair of this committee.

In the coming session, I will continue to push the Senate to pass my bill on Hunter Education in our schools. Hunting is not only a great tradition in our commonwealth. It is also a means of learning self-sufficiency, of providing for oneself and promoting conservationism. Our young people will benefit greatly from learning about the art of hunting and perhaps getting away from the “video screen” and learning to enjoy the beautiful outdoors that Pennsylvania has to offer. I had hoped that this would have been passed before the start of the current school year, and as we are getting into the prime time for hunting, but unfortunately the Senate has not acted on this bill (among others).

This month, we also recognize the 25th anniversary of the tragedies of 9/11. For those of us who were around for that day, it is hard to believe that it has been 25 years. For so many of us, the day is well-embedded in our minds. But for many, including young teachers and students, there is no first-hand remembrance of that day. It is a part of history for which they only have knowledge from their history books and video recordings. Much like those of us born in the Baby Boom era and beyond, we did not live through World War II. We did have the benefit of relatives, though, who lived through that time to give us first-hand accounts of the war and life on the homefront.

Those of us who lived through 9/11 should do the same — provide first-hand accounts of what transpired — for those who have come after us, and for those young people who were not here in 2001. It was a most frightening day, and the survivors still deal with the horrors. All of us were affected — schools quickly shut down, we heard of the prospect that the USX Tower in Pittsburgh may be a target, and so much more.

It was also a day of great heroism and self-sacrifice. What I remember most is how our nation came together. Leaders and citizens alike came together, and most of the world stood with us. The tragedy was immeasurable, and the unity was remarkable. That kind of unity is missing now in our country and as we remember 9/11 we need to remind each other of that day.

September is also remembered for another momentous occasion. On Sept. 17, 1787, 39 delegates gathered at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed the final draft of the United States Constitution. The Constitution laid the framework for our federal government, with three equal branches of government that included a sound system of checks and balances. This great American experiment in democracy has survived what started 250 years ago. The Constitution is a living, breathing document that has survived very trying times in our nation’s history — times that may have seen the end to our democracy. But our core principles of liberty and justice for all have survived.

We are not a monarchy. There has never been a concept that one person or one entity would run our nation. We run on a system that provides the freedom to challenge our leaders, to vote as free citizens and to live with honor in a true democracy, unlike any in the world.

In these very divisive times, we need to stand and reflect on what being an American really means — not false patriotism, but what our parents, grandparents and ancestors came to this nation to realize. The chance to be free, to live with each other, to grow our families along with our nation, and to be that beacon of democracy to the rest of the world. Our history has never been perfect, but we have always moved forward to be that “more perfect union” our Forefathers envisioned.

We all must work toward unity. We can respectfully disagree on issues, but we cannot let disagreement divide us. Politicians should foster unity, no matter what side of the aisle they stand on. Citizens should foster unity with their neighbors. We will build better communities if we work toward understanding and compromise.