by Sherrod Tunstall
It’s been 10 years since the tragedy of 9/11 on American soil, and people are starting to forget. Furthermore, the younger generation doesn’t know about 9/11 and the events of that day. They look at it as another stupid day. The thousands of people who comforted each other that day are more estranged now more ever before.
The only time you see people come together these days is at Thanksgiving and Christmas− and that’s to get something, either food or presents. Sometimes people gather at the funeral of a family member or a friend, hoping the deceased relative left them some money or their home, which they’ll try to sell. The two holidays that shopping buddies get together, Memorial and Veterans Days, people spend time together to get clothing, furniture and food for holiday low prices.
The only way we are going to remember 9/11 by making it a national holiday of remembrance.
The media and government have been saying that it should be a holiday for years.
President Barack Obama said in his address to the American people on Saturday, Sept. 3, that serving others would be the best way Americans could honor those who lost their lives 10 years ago.
“Once again, 9/11 will be a National Day of Service and Remembrance,” Obama said. “And in the days and weeks ahead, folks across the country – in all 50 states – will come together in their communities and neighborhoods to honor the victims of 9/11 and to reaffirm the strength of our nation with acts of service and charity.”
I spoke to a Webster student who stated that 9/11 should be a national holiday because it was a tragic experience everyone had to go through. A librarian felt that having the day as a holiday would be a positive response to the tragedy. For others, the impact 9/11 still has on our lives today is enough to convince them.
If the government decides that 9/11 should become a holiday people shouldn’t just remember it on that day, but all year long. It should be a day of remembrance for those lost− for the families that lost loved ones in the planes and the towers, for the first responding firefighters who are now suffering from cancer because they inhaled the toxic fumes from burning debris to get people out alive. Also, it should be a day for those who lived through the events to teach their children about that horrific day.
September 11 shouldn’t be a holiday for people to say ‘Oh, we have a day off school and work, let’s barbecue!’ It shouldn’t even be a day for people to gather because ‘Oh, there’s a big sale at Wal-Mart, let’s go shopping!’ No. I want people to close schools and businesses to come together, whether at a church or a park or in their homes, and just talk. We should be close to one another like we were ten years ago, hugging and praying for each other.
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