We Will Never Forget

I know for certain that we never lose the people we love, even to death. They continue to participate in every act, thought and decision we make. Their love leaves an indelible imprint in our memories. We find comfort in knowing that our lives have been enriched by having shared their love.-Leo Buscaglia

Today marks the eighth anniversary of the greatest tragedy in America’s history. September 11, 2001 will remain a memory in the hearts of millions across our proud nation as we grieve for the lives lost in that previously unconceivable tragedy. If you were asked where you were when you first heard the news of the devastating acts of terrorism that occurred eight years ago, I am sure most of you could recall that moment instantly. I was still a young child at the time but can still remember waking up for school with my mom upset about something saying that we were not going to school that day. It was later when I watched the videos of the chaos in New York that I finally grasped the severity of what had occurred. A horrifying 3,000 lives were lost that day at the Twin Towers in New York, the Pentagon, and in a field (Flight United 93 which rebelled against the hijackers and stopped them from reaching their target) by four commercial planes hijacked by 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists. Between the hours of 8 and 11 am our country was in total shock and disarray, fear struck the souls of many that day who were unsure if the attacks would ever stop, and all feelings of safety disappeared. Grief came quickly and painfully as our country tried to pick up the pieces of our broken land; the glorious twin towers had crumbled to the ground and the pentagon was badly damaged. In the days following, spine-chilling reports were released from witnesses of the twin towers collapsing as photos and stories of people jumping from the twin towers in attempts to escape the collapse of the towers themselves were printed on the cover of every newspaper. Through our pain came heroism and unity as firefighters and police in New York searched the rubble for survivors, many actually being harmed or killed in the process and the government tried to assess and take control. Now, permanent memorials have either been made or our being discussed at each crash site. The past seven years President George W. Bush had always called for a moment of silence to remember that fateful day when so many lives were lost along with a speech directed toward victims’ families, and the placing of white flowered wreaths on the crash site at the Pentagon. With remembrance and grief comes a sort of unity that lets us forget political differences as shown today by our new president, Barrack Obama, who held similar services today as those held by former president George Bush. Although Barrack has often mentioned the problems with the Bush administration it was nice to see that he would still keep up with what can be only described as a tradition of remembrance through his actions today. Though there have been conflicts between the two political parties about the events leading to the attack and the reactions afterward, overall we blur those lines today to remember our grief and those who are no longer here. WE WILL NEVER FORGET.