We walked to Anchor Park during lunchtime Tuesday, thinking about how hard it seemed to commemorate the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Of course, there are the painful memories of the attacks themselves - the horror of the falling planes, the collapsing buildings and the lives that were lost.

Even in Helena, seemingly so far away from the attacks, it was a time of fear and uncertainty and anger.

We remember seeing the armed guards at Fort Harrison and law enforcement checking out the dams. We remember printing the schedules of evening prayer services.

And now, six years later, much of the country's anger seems to have turned inward. Every day the news is filled with angry debate about the war in Iraq that came after the attacks.

In fact, Tuesday's anniversary was the second day Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker were testifying before a Congress bitterly debating how many troops to leave in Iraq and for how long.

And did you hear that Osama bin Laden is releasing another tape? And what about the controversies over the role Sept. 11 is playing in presidential politics and over the health of workers at Ground Zero?

So it was remarkable how little the division in the country was apparent at the Sept. 11 memorial ceremony Tuesday at Anchor Park.

Firefighters, law enforcement officers and members of the military all spoke about the unity the anniversary made them feel as they remembered their colleagues who responded so bravely and selflessly that day.

They also remembered the passengers of Flight 93, who gave their lives to save those intended as a target.

And of course, the members of the armed services, whom we all support, even if that support takes different forms.

An eloquent prayer ending the ceremony asked that we learn to confront each other without bitterness.

We all know how unlikely that is when the stakes of disagreement are so high.

But in a democracy, those debates are necessary, too. They were there waiting for us when we got back to the office.

Still, it was good to stand in the cool green park for a while, thinking about the difficult truth that the worst times can give rise to the best in us, and remembering all those whose actions brought us together when we needed it most.