Hemphill

This Saturday marks the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. This is obviously a tremendously important day in our country’s history and is our generation’s Pearl Harbor.

Every year, when the date draws near, I get anxious, if that is the right word. I don’t know what to feel. Differing amounts of various emotions have surfaced inside me in regards to this event: anger, sadness, frustration, confusion.

Why then, on this important day, is there nothing going on at Emporia State? No day of remembrance, no moment of silence or candlelight vigil, nothing! This, to me, is a huge mistake.

It has been nine years of war and hardship for our country since 9/11, and for us at ESU to not honor the memory of those who died on that day and subsequent days as a direct result of 9/11 is truly unfortunate.

I do not believe myself to be a huge “patriot,” but this seems odd to me. Since 2001, it seems like every year there is some kind of event in the name of remembrance. What happened? What changed? Why is this year different? Is it just the natural progression of things? I really hope not.

Not even a decade has passed, and it is as though we have forgotten already. I know that 9/11 seems to perpetually hang over us, so it is never forgotten, but doing nothing this Saturday gives off a bad impression, to say the least.

I know this is a tough situation, because it is not as if we should celebrate the ninth anniversary of one of the worst days in the history of our country, but there should at least be something to remind us of why the last decade has been scarred with wars. Something to keep us humble and thankful for what we have and those who protect it, mindful of the fragility of life and how nothing can be taken for granted.

So this Saturday, when people all over the country will be looking back on this terrible day, I challenge all those here at ESU to think back as well. Think about the things we have and the things we and others around us have lost.

In spite of not having an organized event on campus or in Emporia, we can still collectively remember the importance of Sept. 11, the lives that were lost, and the country whose foundation shook when the towers fell.

Remember, Emporia State, and never forget.

Eric Hemphill/The Bulletin

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