One of those dates that remain indelibly etched in the minds of many, for how long, is another story. If you’re old enough to remember the horrors of September 11, you know where you were when it happened. I was watching cable television as it unfolded live before me.
I read an article once that young people in school were not alive when our nation came under attack. To me, it seems like it wasn’t all that long ago. Being 24 years now, those graduating from college were not yet born, and those in high school now would be so young as to have no accurate recollection.
Another reality, of course, is what is being taught in schools now. There is a tendency to sanitize so all will feel good, and when a member of Congress says, “Some people did something” that day, that’s even scarier than schools failing to teach so the feelings of others suffer no discomfort. I think feelings should not be spared when teaching the truth. The perpetrators were not just “some people.” They were, in fact, particular people.
It was not articulated by a member of Congress and is nameless here because I refuse to acknowledge her, saying, “Some people did something;” It’s important to remember the sacrifices made by many that day and in the times after.
So, gently remind others why this date is so important, especially if you run into someone too young to remember or not yet born. Indeed, it was the Pearl Harbor of our time, and while I’m way too young to remember December 7, 1941, I know about the day and what happened afterward. We need to remember September 11, 2001, in the same way. Both days should be “a date which will live in infamy.”
Remember, too, the first and last stanza of a poem by Alan W. Jankowski entitled We Shall Never Forget:
“Let the world always remember,
That fateful day in September,
And the ones who answered duty’s call,
Should be remembered by us all.
“And never forget the ones no longer here,
Who fought for the freedoms we all hold dear,
And may their memory never wane,
Lest their sacrifices be in vain.”
September 11 is known as Patriots Day. You’re asked to observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. when the first plane was turned into a flying torpedo and bombed the World Trade Center. This led to 2,977 innocent Americans murdered and more than 6,000 injured. That’s more American casualties than on D-Day in World War II and more than four times the number of casualties at Pearl Harbor. It was a horrific day, but America responded.
It’s not just about the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, or a little field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania (a truly remarkable account of the American spirit that everyone should learn about); it’s about the United States of America. As the poem states, don’t let their sacrifices be in vain by being one who will ALWAYS REMEMBER!
May God Bless America
