Why we must remember 9/11
Friday marks 25 years since 2,977 people died at the hands of 19 terrorists.
9/11, or Patriot Day, will be observed Friday in Worland with a ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. in Pioneer Square. All are invited.
For my generation, 9/11 is like our JFK or Pearl Harbor moment. Everyone knows exactly where they were and what they were doing when America came under attack. 9/11 is part of our history now and like all historical moments, they need to be remembered. The heroism, the victims, the unity of the country at that time, needs to be remembered.
But think about it: anyone under the age of 25 was not alive at that time and many people ask the question, why should they learn about it, why do they need to understand?
First, they need to understand there is evil in the world. The 19 terrorists, and more behind the planning including Osama bin Laden, were radical Islamists, but not all Muslims are radical. Name a denomination or religious affiliation and you can probably find a heinous act perpetrated by a member of that religion. It does not mean everyone in that religion is evil.
Second, 9/11 is not just moments of evil and terror but of heroism. The 343 New York firefighters who died when the towers fell as they tried to rescue as many people as they could, the 37 Port Authority officers who died as they responded to the call at Ground Zero. Let us not forget the brave people inside the towers and the Pentagon who helped others to safety.
And, of course, the heroes of Flight 93 will never be forgotten for fighting back to crash the plane in Pennsylvania so it did not reach its destination in Washington, D.C.
Third, with all of the division in our country and in the world now, on just about anything and everything, we should also remember that brief, albeit fleeting, feeling of unity on Sept. 12 and for a few days after.
We were all proud Americans; we were all New Yorkers that day, and we stood with those in D.C. We cried out that terrorists can take our buildings, but they would not take our freedoms, they would not take away our patriotism, they would not take away our resolve to fight back.
It was also not just unity in the United States of America but across the globe as many countries lost people in the terror attacks, on the planes and in the towers.
Our northern neighbor Canada and Newfoundland welcomed dozens of planes and passengers as flights were grounded and not allowed in U.S. airspace. Hearts and homes were opened to help those stranded.
We were one, we were united, at least for a moment.
Yes, 9/11 needs to be remembered, by every generation, every American, every year.
To read stories about the heroes and victims visit online at National Geographic, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/9-11-video-archive, or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at https://www.fbi.gov/history/cases-and-criminals/911-investigation.
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