Fifteen years have passed since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.
That’s hard to believe.
It’s hard to believe that it was 15 years ago that this country changed forever.
It’s hard to believe that it was 15 years ago that so many innocent lives were lost. It’s hard to believe how much our lives have changed in those 15 years — how heightened security at public places, especially airports, is expected and openly accepted; how a person’s privacy is not always private; how farewell and welcome home celebrations for servicemen and women seem to be commonplace; and how, sadly, the world is still dealing with terror.
There are so many other examples to mention of how our lives have changed since that fateful day 15 years ago. Here we are, a decade-and-a-half later, with 9/11 as a memory for all of us who lived it, and a history lesson for those who didn’t.
Fifteen years later, we should all be proud of the way we are remembering and honoring those who lost their lives that day as well as their families, and also the servicemen and women — and their families — who so bravely have volunteered to serve this country.
In addition to annual memorials put on at the national level, local communities are playing a large part, too. Our community, and others around us, host 9/11 remembrances and memorials.
We should all be proud of ourselves and our fellow citizens. But we should not stop here just because we have done well so far.
We should never forget what happened 15 years ago. We should always pause and respect those who were taken from us and those who fight for our freedom.
And we should ensure that those who weren’t alive 15 years ago, or were too young to remember, are taught about what happened that day, and how it will continue to affect our lives and theirs.
Teaching about 9/11 isn’t a requirement in New Jersey public schools, although teaching about terrorism is, so, by default, our children are learning about the worst attack on U.S. soil in history. And that’s important, because a majority of these students weren’t alive when the attacks happened, and the ones who were probably don’t remember. So teaching them about the events of the not-so-distant past is important, so that no one will ever forget.
