Sept. 11, 2001, was the saddest day in American history. We all can remember where we were that day. We also can remember the fear and anger that we felt as we watched those buildings go down. We will never forget that day. Our feelings of security for ourselves and our children were changed forever.
We must, however, also remember Sept. 12, 2001. As we left our homes that morning, we still were reeling from the fear and anger, but we were different. When we looked at our neighbors, we saw them as fellow Americans who were hurting just like we were. When we went into a department store that day, we talked to the cashier. No one was going too slow on the road. The deli man cut the meat just right and we weren’t in a hurry. We didn’t notice color, religion, gender, we all had a common bond.
During World War II, there were vegetable gardens in the projects of Newark. Kids took off labels from cans to take to the junk yard in our wagons. We kept that bond for a very long time.
We need now, as the anniversary of Sept. 11 arrives, to also remember Sept. 12 and recapture the love that we felt for our fellow Americans that day. We cannot afford to let the anger we felt at those who attacked us be directed toward our neighbors. The deli man hasn’t changed. He is still the man we chose to look at differently that day.
Loretta Lord
Edison