Mention 9/11 and you’ll get a wide variety of reactions ranging from anger to stunned disbelief to wacked out conspiracy theorists. The one commonality you will find is that everyone can tell you where they were on that fateful day. I was sitting in my living room watching some kids program with my kids when the phone rang. It was my friend Pam from Kentucky. She didn’t say hi. She didn’t mention who it was. She just said, “TURN ON THE TV.” I could tell from her tone of voice that something was really wrong. Little did I know how much worse it would get. When Pam called me, the first plane had just hit the World Trade Center. At that point, everyone thought it was a tragic accident or a crazed individual acting alone. Certainly, no one was thinking terrorism.
We turned on the TV and were watching when the second plane hit. I looked at my husband in stunned disbelief. I remember watching as a thick, black column of smoke climbed higher and higher into that beautiful blue sky. I remember praying and saying, “Please dear God let the loss of life be minimal.” I remember watching all the police cars and fire trucks arriving and thinking, “I wonder how many of those brave men and women won’t go home tonight.”
As the fire grew bigger, the chances of the buildings staying up grew smaller. We were watching as the buildings started to collapse. I sat there crying because I knew we had lost all those firefighters and police officers who went running in when everyone else was running out. Those brave heroes didn’t stop to think they might not live through the day. They donned their gear and their only question was, “Where do you need me?” Those men who went into the World Trade center that day saved many lives by giving their lives that day. Please remember them.
In the days that followed the attack and the building collapse, I was selfishly glad that my husband was recovering from knee surgery. If he hadn’t been recovering from surgery, he would likely have been one of the firefighters who volunteered to help with the recovery efforts. It may have been selfish but I didn’t want him to become another statistic of 9/11. My heart went out to the families who lost people on 9/11 but I certainly didn’t want to join them.
Remember the bravery of the policemen and firefighters who died on 9/11. Remember the people who forced the plane down in the field instead of letting the terrorist crash it into a building. Even if you don’t support the war, recognize and honor the conviction of our men and women who are fighting for our freedom. Don’t let this day and the loss of life be pointless.
Stand up for our rights. Stand up for our freedom. Don’t sit silently and let our rights be trampled upon by our government or by others.
Stand for something and remember 9/11.
To read a series of 48 incredible posts about 9/11, go visit Bridges. There will be a new 100 word post every half hour today.
2 comments:
Your post reminds me of Bob Marley of all people! And a quote of his I like:
“Get up, stand up, Stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, Don't give up the fight.”
It is truly a sad day. I feel for those that lost friends and loved ones that day.
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