Maria Miller

Editor-in-Chief

Sunday, September 11, 2011 marked a significant anniversary. Ten years have now passed since the terrorists attacks on our nation, including the planes crashing in to the Twin Towers, the attacks on the Pentagon, and the hijacking of Flight 93. All around the world, from backyards to national memorials, people paused to share moments of reflection of the horror that occurred on 9/11/01, to be in fellowship with survivors, family members, and supporters, and to honor those lost on this tragic day in history.

Ten years - a decade since the country was paralyzed with shock and despair. This year, we look at the state of our country today as it compares to then. Though we have gone through many hardships, we are stronger, more connected as a people than we were before the attacks. President Barack Obama delivered an eloquent speech at the Kennedy Center during A Concert for Hope on that Sunday night, and stated that "These past ten years have shown that America does not give in to fear. The rescue workers who rushed to the scene; the firefighters who charged up the stairs; the passengers who stormed the cockpit - these patriots defined the very nature of courage."

A Concert for Hope was only one of hundreds of commemorative events held for the anniversary around the country. Locally, an Army surgical unit's picnic was held in Noble Park to remember the day with their families and colleagues. Annual events also are held, including the 9/11 World Trade Center Run to Remember program (a 5K fund run for families on Governor's Island in NYC. A touching event called Awareness Sunday brings religious groups together at Westminster Abbey in London, England to remember the terrible loss that occurred on 9/11.

But perhaps the most poignant event was held at the 9/11 Memorial on Ground Zero, New York, New York. On that anniversary Sunday, the memorial was opened only for the families of those lost on 9/11, but is now open to the public. The memorial is essentially two sets of enormous waterfalls and reflecting pools, in the places where the twin towers stood. The area is surrounded by trees with a museum plaza and pavilion also on the site. The memorial lists the name of every person lost on 9/11, including those who died in Flight 93. It is a wholly appropriate and beautiful memorial and became a perfect place for Americans to reflect and remember.  President Obama's final line in his speech at the Kennedy Center was "May God bless the memory of those we lost, and may God Bless the United States of America." Never forget.