May We Never Forget

Thinking back to this date 16 years ago, I, like so many others, was numb and in disbelief. A plane hit one of the Twin Towers. It must have been a terrible accident, I thought. And then news came of the second plane hitting the other tower. This was no accident.

I worked for a federal agency in the San Francisco area that shared property with the military. Immediately after the attacks, all the access gates were closed, with only the main gate remaining open. Every vehicle entering was searched inside and out and underneath for explosives, and our IDs were carefully checked. We also were quizzed about where we were going. 

I was among a few employees who stayed at work to handle the deluge of requests from local news media wanting to interview our senior managers for their thoughts and "reactions." So I and a couple of other people arranged interviews, coordinated our efforts with headquarters in Washington, D.C., and developed talking points.

This went on for several days, with little time to mourn the horrendous loss of life. Finally, on a day off work, I had time to process what had happened. As I sat in my favorite chair in the living room, watching the endless replays of the airplanes striking New York's Twin Towers, and listening to the non-stop news media coverage, the tears started. And they would not stop.

Life has changed in so many ways since that day, when cowards perverted their Muslim faith and used it as justification to kill innocent people. Now we must remove our shoes, coats, belts and sometimes our watches before we can board an airplane. We go through multiple document checks and are subject to patdowns, scanning and swabs for explosives. We are advised that if we "See something, say something." Security has been drastically increased at federal buildings, airports, stadiums and other places where large numbers of people gather. 

The would-be terrorists continue to change their approaches to killing and maiming innocent people. But American and other intelligence agencies and police departments, along with private citizens who are quick to report anything or anyone suspicious, are fighting back.Terror leaders have been captured or killed, terror cells and plots have been interrupted, and people are willing to get involved in the fight against terrorism on land and in the skies.

Sept. 11 should, in my opinion, be made a national holiday. Cancel Columbus Day, which is a minor holiday celebrated by the federal government but not by anyone else. And it is a growing source of irritation to Native Americans who resent having to honor a man who enslaved and killed so many of their ancestors.

Let us instead honor the thousands who died on that beautiful autumn day in 2001. Let us also honor those first responders who rushed in to help the victims. And let us honor the survivors who will forever carry the physical and emotional scars of that day.

Above all, let us never forget.

Remembering 9/11

Where were you, what were you doing, 13 years ago this morning? Where were you when you first heard news of the attacks on America by a group of radical Muslim cowards? If you are like most Americans, September 11, 2001 is one of those days that will forever be etched in your memory. For me, 9/11 is a life-changing day, along with the assassination of Pres. John Kennedy, and the loss of space shuttle Challenger and later, space shuttle Columbia.

I will always remember hearing the news of the cowardly attacks on New York City as I was stuck in a massive traffic jam on 9/11. I will always remember the nearly 3,000 innocent people who were murdered that day, those whose lives are forever shattered, and the first responders who went into the buildings when everyone else was racing to escape. I will always remember the horrible pictures of people jumping to their deaths, and racing to escape the black cloud of dust and debris as it roared down the streets of New York City. I will always remember the unflagging dedication of the search dogs and their handlers as they looked for survivors and later, for the remains of the murdered. I remember the exhausted faces of the handlers and dogs after their return home, and the frustration of some members of the disaster response team who were unable to go. They had been trained for just such a disaster, but not everyone was called to respond.

I will always remember being told to send our staff home, and how my supervisor and I stayed at work, fielding innumerable calls from the news media, developing talking points, coordinating with NASA headquarters and feeling totally numb. As federal employees, we felt especially vulnerable that day, so our center was closed and all but a few essential personnel were sent home. I remember working many long days without a break and how panicked I felt when I heard an airplane approaching the runways shared by NASA and the military, even though I knew it was a NASA plane that was expected. The sound of this airplane's engines sent my heart racing. 

And I remember when I finally got a day off work, sitting in my living room watching the endless replays of the planes hitting the Twin Towers, and the towers collapsing, finally at last being able to give in to my grief and letting the endless tears wash over me. I will always remember how this nation, and the world, came together in the aftermath of these cowardly attacks. People wanted to do something, anything, to help. International disputes and rivalries were set aside as the world came together to mourn.

Our world has changed greatly since 9/11, and not for the better. Nations still are being torn apart by wars and by terrorism. Air travel has become a major hassle. Billions of dollars have been spent on enhanced security around the world. Muslim extremists like those who attacked the United States on 9/11 have become even bolder in their attacks on innocent people. They have kidnapped hundreds of schoolchildren in Nigeria. They have murdered countless innocent people in Iraq. They are trying to establish a so-called 'caliphate of Islam' in parts of Syria and Iraq. 

I will always wish the world would come together once more without being prompted by a huge tragedy. Let us come together to fight those who would attack our nation and its citizens, and to tackle the world's injustices without shedding more blood. And let us always remember those who lost their lives on 9/11/01, as well as those they left behind.