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It is 22 years and counting since one of the worst days in our country’s history changed the lives of thousands of our fellow Americans, and I don’t understand why we are not making time to commemorate, honor and educate our local school children on the importance of remembering this day. I will never forget!
Each year at this time as I reflect on Sept. 11, 2001, I experience heart break for the innocent lives lost and anger toward those responsible. The enduring power of the Sept. 11 attacks remains clear to an overwhelming share of us who remember where exactly we were and what we were doing when we learned of those attacks on our country.
Yet an ever-growing number of Americans has no personal memory of that day, either because they were too young or not yet born and some have chosen to do nothing about it. As Maya Angelou once said: “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived. However, if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”
I ask our local school district (RSU 89) leadership to find the courage and time to commemorate, honor and teach our students why our American flag is being flown at half-staff on Sept.11. Rather than staying quiet on this day, we should be observing a moment of silence in our schools and speaking to our students about the significance of this tragedy!
Let’s become a stronger community on Sept. 11, 2024!
Richard Schmidt III
Patten