New lessons from 9-11
This morning dawned bright and crisp, similar in many ways to Sept. 11, 2001, a day forever etched in our hearts as a national tragedy. This morning, we remembered 9-11 together in a moving ceremony in the courtyard at Lowell High School led by the Jr. ROTC Honor Guard with accompaniment from the high school’s show choir, students, staff and school administrators. As the superintendent noted in her remarks, most high school students were in elementary school when those jets slammed into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania, but the adults remember exactly where we were when we learned of the attacks. We remember this day as we do other days that have marked our national consciousness—from the assassinations of beloved leaders to the bombing of Pearl Harbor—because it is important to recognize the sacrifice of others as a way to appreciate the gifts we live today. Yesterday, the Boston Globe ran an op ed that noted a different kind of remembering—one that also resonated with me because it spoke of hope and moving forward: “On Sept. 12, 2001, America’s tragedy elicited sympathy from all over the world, including places as unlikely as Tehran. Thousands of Iranians spontaneously lit candles in solidarity with the families of victims and the American people.”
Perhaps we have squandered that goodwill as the authors claim. Perhaps our current administration’s tendency to rattle the sword rather than sit at the table of diplomacy has not made us safer, instead fueling those who hate and would destroy us, and leading us down a slippery slope of ongoing battles. As we look toward new leadership this fall, I hope voters will remember the attacks of 9-11, not as an impetus for revenge or fear, but as a tool to bring reasonable people together worldwide to create a new kind of international community—one that recognizes the mutual benefits of peace.