But in the years since, our perspective has shifted. We have come to realize that "The Falling Man" is not a symbol of defeat or weakness. It is a symbol of the sheer desperation and the extremity of the situation. It forces us to confront the reality that for these victims, jumping was not a choice of death, but a final, desperate attempt to escape an unbearable torture.

For hundreds of people trapped above the impact zones, there was no way down and no way up. The stairwells were severed. The elevators were gone. They were hemmed in by fire on one side and shattered windows on the other.

For a long time, the narrative surrounding the jumpers was wrapped in shame. But in recent years, journalists and family members have worked to change that narrative. They argue that these victims were not committing suicide in the traditional sense; they were victims of murder, trying to grasp one last breath of clean air before the end.

We often sanitize history to make it easier to digest. But to truly honor the victims of 9/11, we must be willing to look at the full, unvarnished truth of their suffering.