This is what was printed on the Newspaper about September 11th
2001, that I want to share.
“Fifteen
years ago, America mourned the atrocities of Sept. 11 that took nearly 3,000
lives and brought down New York City’s World Trade Center towers. While these
heinous attacks horrified the nation, they also seemed to catalyze a marked
increase in pro-social behavior.
The
countless charitable acts of millions of Americans in the wake of 9/11 served
as mini memorials to the victims of these atrocities. Fifteen years later,
caring a bit more, giving a little extra, and striving to be better is still
the best way to honor those lost.
After 9/11,
social scientists found that attendance at religious services, charitable
giving and enlistment in the armed forces all increased. Blood donations
doubled, and, according to Gallup, people were suddenly more inclined to say
that their faith was very important to them. Americans chipped in a record $2.8
billion to support 9/11 victims.
And then
there were the first responders. Nearly 400 firefighters and police officers
lost their lives in trying to save others; some 60 off-duty firefighters died
while answering the call after they learned of the attacks. The numbers
represent names — the names of individuals whose courage and heroics continue
to inspire the nation.
Famously
hardened New Yorkers started saying hello to each other, connecting in the
subway and showing an added concern for one another. Down in Washington, D.C.,
the city buried petty partisanship, and in the evening after the attacks, some
150 members of Congress gathered at the Capitol. Democrats and Republicans
stood side-by-side, they observed a moment of silence and together sang “God
Bless America.”
One foreign
reporter described the scene: “They stood shaken and tearful on the steps of
the Capitol, their love of nation and all that it symbolizes plain for the
world to see.”
As we
remember that fateful day and recount where we were and what we were doing when
evil struck the Twin Towers, let us also recall those who were lost and
recommit to honor them through word and deed. Let us remember how flags hung
outside our homes, how the courage of the first responders inspired us, how the
unity of a nation made us stronger, and how an increase in faith and charity
made us kinder.
As Secretary
of State John Kerry observed, “It was the worst day we have ever seen, but it
brought out the best in all of us.” Remembering Sept. 11 on its 15th
anniversary should renew within our nation a desire to be better and do better;
only then will we truly honor those lost and those who gave their lives on that
fateful day.” Deseret News editorial
What I think about mostly of that day in New York and in my
personal life is not those people that performed the horrific act of terrorism;
it’s the amazing number of ordinary men and women who became heroes that
day. I think of those firemen and policemen who so bravely put themselves
into harm’s way that day as they rushed in to save any survivors they could
find. They performed the most selfless act of service anyone could
perform by willingly risking their own lives in order to save the lives of
others.
They were ordinary men and women who chose to do an
extraordinary thing. That’s what made them heroes – they chose to do
it. They could have sat back in fear, but they chose not to. They
knew the risks. They too had loved ones waiting at home for them.
But they put thoughts of their own wellbeing aside and they rushed to help
those people who desperately needed them. And because of their
heroism many people survived who otherwise wouldn’t have. Because of
their heroism many of them didn’t make it – having given their own lives for
the sake of another. Those are true Heroes.
Those heroes set an
example for all of us to follow, and I am forever grateful for that example.
They touched the lives of countless people that day. Not just those
people they saved, it went well beyond that. It spread to all of us
across the world that watched and prayed and marveled at what they did in
service of others. And all of us were affected by that. All of us were
touched by that. And hopefully many of us were inspired to be better
people because of their great example. May we all choose to do extraordinary
things when called upon. May we live up to the legacy they left behind. In
loving memory of those Heroes.”
Con amor,
Vero
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