This week, we remember September 11, 2001, one of the darkest days in our nation’s history. More than ever, we have a responsibility to remember the nearly 3,000 innocent Americans who lost their lives, the thousands lost years later from illness, the families who were forever changed, and the brave men and women who ran into the rubble to save others.
We live in strange times when there are factions of people who call themselves “Americans” who have gone so far as to claim that our country deserved 9/11. That sick, inhumane, and fundamentally un-American attitude is exactly why we must continue to educate, remember, and reaffirm our respect for the victims and heroes of that terrible day.
Too many people today were either too young to remember September 11 or were not yet born. They need to understand not only what happened, but what followed. New Yorkers stood together. Our entire country stood together. We mourned together, we prayed together, and we felt the pain together. Nearly every family knew someone who was directly impacted, whether it was a loved one, a neighbor, a coworker, a friend, or one of the thousands of first responders who answered the call.
In the days and weeks that followed, politicians put differences aside, communities rallied around one another, and ordinary Americans did extraordinary things to lift their neighbors up during an unimaginable time. Our first responders showed a level of courage that can never be forgotten, many making the ultimate sacrifice in an effort to save people they had never met.
That spirit of unity is something we should never forget. September 11 was an attack on all of us, and the response of Americans showed the world what our nation is capable of when we stand together.
This September 11, I ask every New Yorker and every American to take a moment to remember those we lost, honor those who ran toward the danger, and teach the next generation why we must never forget.
God bless the victims, their families, our first responders, and the United States of America.
Remembering 9/11
This week, we remember September 11, 2001, one of the darkest days in our nation’s history. More than ever, we have a responsibility to remember the nearly 3,000 innocent Americans who lost their lives, the thousands lost years later from illness, the families who were forever changed, and the brave men and women who ran into the rubble to save others.
We live in strange times when there are factions of people who call themselves “Americans” who have gone so far as to claim that our country deserved 9/11. That sick, inhumane, and fundamentally un-American attitude is exactly why we must continue to educate, remember, and reaffirm our respect for the victims and heroes of that terrible day.
Too many people today were either too young to remember September 11 or were not yet born. They need to understand not only what happened, but what followed. New Yorkers stood together. Our entire country stood together. We mourned together, we prayed together, and we felt the pain together. Nearly every family knew someone who was directly impacted, whether it was a loved one, a neighbor, a coworker, a friend, or one of the thousands of first responders who answered the call.
In the days and weeks that followed, politicians put differences aside, communities rallied around one another, and ordinary Americans did extraordinary things to lift their neighbors up during an unimaginable time. Our first responders showed a level of courage that can never be forgotten, many making the ultimate sacrifice in an effort to save people they had never met.
That spirit of unity is something we should never forget. September 11 was an attack on all of us, and the response of Americans showed the world what our nation is capable of when we stand together.
This September 11, I ask every New Yorker and every American to take a moment to remember those we lost, honor those who ran toward the danger, and teach the next generation why we must never forget.
God bless the victims, their families, our first responders, and the United States of America.