In Remembrance

By: American Decency Staff

It is thirteen years now since more than 3,000 Americans were murdered by Islamic  terrorists in the Twin Towers,  the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93.

Every year on this date we struggle to do justice to the memories of the victims of that cowardly attack. We travel back in time and think about what we were doing and how we felt when we saw those smoking buildings and those silhouettes dropping past the windows to hasten their end. We recall the footage of the rescuers digging for survivors and just willing the survivor count to go up.

There are so many memories and in some way, we want to feel that pain we felt that day because the people who lost their lives deserve to be mourned for. It's God's grace alone that we weren't in those buildings or on those planes, and the most we can give them for their loss is the promise that we will never forget.

On the evening of the attack, when the towers sat in crumbled ruins wrapped in the bodies of Americans, our president gave a speech that tugged at the very least my own heart and said everything that I needed to hear in the shadow of the day's terror.

"These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation.

Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.

America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.

Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature, and we responded with the best of America, with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could."

America still sees great evil advancing in the world today. Is anyone else checking the news on occasion, half expecting to hear of a copycat attack on this anniversary? The world we live in is even more dangerous than it was on September 11, 2001. But what President Bush said that night remains true: faced with great evil – "the worst of human nature" – the best response is to be that "great people", to love our neighbors, and to care for those who are suffering.

Many heroes lost their lives that day selflessly trying to save the lives of strangers. That kind of sacrifice ought to still inspire our own acts of service in their memory. By pushing back against the darkness in the world, we remember the innocent victims of evil in the best way that we can.

An act of hatred took them from us, let us remember them with acts of love.

Never forget.

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photo credit: EJP Photo via photopin cc

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