Legacy of 9/11: Dare NOT to Forget

"Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: 'Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.'” ~President George W. Bush September 11, 2001.

"I told him (the Lieutenant) I wasn't leaving...We were still missing one guy..."  ~Patrick Martin, NYFD


Where were YOU on that fateful morning of September 11, 2001?

Wherever you and I were that morning geographically, we were forevermore changed at our core individually, spiritually, and as a nation. We watched the images of selfless men and women, from everyday citizens to professional public safety personnel, struggling to save as many lives as possible in the aftermath of the airliners being overtaken by terrorists.

For a period of time, we were one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Partisanship ceased to be a defining factor as all elected officials stood side-by-side and citizenry pulled together to bury our dead with dignity...to restore normalcy...to bring justice to bear upon those responsible for the heinous act of cowardice.

As we approach and move past the tenth anniversary of that fateful morning, the bipartisan honeymoon has been over for some time as rancorous partisanship ascended again. Political lines again became more important than unemployment lines. Our courageous citizens have been buffeted by economic turmoil, financial insecurity, and future uncertainty. Our selfless police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel across the nation find themselves shorn of their numbers as federal, state and municipal bureaucrats seek to balance fiscal year budgets.

Communities suffering vacancies amidst the mortgage foreclosure crisis now risk being branded as underprotected as line items for public safety take precedence over actual manpower needs at firehouses and police stations across this nation. We mistakenly save a few dollars today at the expense of the safe neighborhoods and attractive communities of tomorrow.

Our elected officials will have now attempted to revive that unified feeling amidst banners, flags, and slogans to commemorate the 10th anniversary, but they must do more than window-dress the very real transformation that this nation underwent that morning and in the days that followed. Instead, genuine bipartisan problem solvers must work together in a professional and collegial fashion once again. This time their legislative efforts won't be about enacting anti-terror legislation, but in that same spirit of cooperation they must recommit to working together to ensure that firefighters, police officers, emergency personnel, school teachers and other selfless public servants are not reduced like some faceless, nameless budget line item.

Stand up, stand together, and restore our neighborhoods and communities so that we can once again be that Shining City upon the Hill that we have always been. God bless our public servants and may God Bless America!