9-11 Memorial in New York City
9-11 Pentagon Memorial
9-11 Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, PA
Last Saturday was the 20th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks on our country. Numerous events were held around the nation to commemorate that horrific day. A common phrase associated with 9-11 is “Never Forget.” None of us who are old enough to remember it, will ever forget where we were as the terror of that day unfolded. Reflecting on the magnitude of the horror and suffering is still overwhelming. Nor will we ever forget the self-less acts of first responders who risked and sometimes lost their lives honoring their call to serve and protect others. There were also many acts of compassion by nameless ordinary people who reached out to suffering victims. In addition to remembering that specific day, we should also never forget both the positive and negative consequences of the way our nation responded to the attacks. A very helpful and insightful resource is a five part series by Netflix called “Turning Point: 9-11 and the War on Terror.” The trailer for the series is posted below. I want to share two quotes from people who reflected on their response to 9-11, one a captain in the US Army and the other a captain in the New York City Fire Department. Both people put their lives on the line, so their words deserve our attention and respect.
US Army Captain Brittany Ramos DeBarros reflected on her deployment to Afghanistan: “When I was stationed in Afghanistan, I really believed that we were there to help the Afghan people. But you can’t take and institution that’s designed for violence and use it to build up healthy and safe communities.”
NYFD Captain Brenda Berkman summed up so much in a few words: “We have so many lessons we can learn from 9-11, but we should not think that hate is ever a good response. That it’s only love. That’s it.”
Neither quote denies the complexity of living in a world characterized by so much hate and violence. Rather they remind us that love is the ultimate meaning and hope of humanity. On 9-11 and every day, this is what we should “Never Forget.”