EDITORIAL
The Cranbury Post Office is set to get a new name. On the airwaves is the latest single from Neil Young and there are plans for a new memorial in Cranbury.
The common denominator in these items is, of course, that they each have something to do with Todd Beamer.
Mr. Beamer became an American hero on Sept. 11, when he and his fellow passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 overtook several hijackers and helped thwart their plans. Instead of hitting a public landmark or heavily populated area, the plane crashed into the Pennsylvania countryside, possibly saving hundreds, but taking the lives of everyone on board.
Since then, there have been many allusions and tributes to Mr. Beamer. His last words, "Let’s Roll," have become a battle cry in the war against terrorism, used most notably by President George W. Bush during an address to the nation.
Movements to honor Mr. Beamer’s heroics have proliferated, and are an appropriate expression of our gratitude to him and his fellow passengers.
Plans are under way to rename Cranbury’s post office for Mr. Beamer ironic, given that letters laced with anthrax, sent from a mail sorting facility in Hamilton, have changed the way we view and treat our mail.
Neil Young has released a new single, "Let’s Roll," which details the final moments of Flight 93. There are no plans to release the CD commercially before the end of the year, but it can be heard on the radio. On Tuesday, it was played on the Imus in the Morning Show as a tribute to the three-month anniversary of Sept. 11 in place of the nation anthem.
On the homefront, the Cranbury Lions Club has raised more than $10,000 for a Todd Beamer Memorial to be placed in Heritage Park. The club will use any money remaining after the monument is constructed, and any new contributions, for a scholarship that would be awarded annually to a college-bound 12th-grader. The memorial should be in place before Sept. 11, 2002, and the scholarship will be awarded in time for the 2003-2004 school year.
Movements to honor Mr. Beamer’s heroics are appropriate and the ones chosen are fitting. But given Mr. Beamer’s commitment to family and community, we would encourage residents to honor him in other ways, as well, namely by helping local charities and organizations that help families in need or that provide opportunities for kids.
By all accounts, Mr. Beamer was a generous man who believed it was important to help others.
As a member of the Princeton Alliance Church in Plainsboro, he served as a youth sponsor and mentor to high school students. He also taught senior high school Christian education classes. He leaves behind his pregnant wife, Lisa, who has been active in working with victims of Sept. 11, and two sons.
To honor such a life, make donations of time or money to a local charity, perhaps one that provides the needy with shelter, food, clothes and gifts for children. The Trenton Area Soup Kitchen is always in need of assistance, as are the food pantries at the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury and the Presbyterian Church of Jamesburg.
By emulating Mr. Beamer’s generosity and commitment to community, we all can help create a fitting legacy that his family can view with pride.