For Whom the Bells Toll

This day, Thursday September 11th, 2008, marks the seven-year anniversary of one of the saddest days in American history. Tuesday September 11th, 2001 started off like any other Tuesday morning, with citizens across the country heading off to work, just like they did so many times before. No one knew that in a matter of hours the world’s most iconic towers would be reduced to rubble and scrap metal. No one knew that the Pentagon, a building that in America symbolizes power and strength, would have a gaping hole in the side. No one knew that it would take the brave actions of regular people on a plane flight to save another building from a direct hit. But in a span of less than 2 hours, all these horrors became a reality, and a nation was left in a state of shock, wondering why so many lives were taken on what started off as any other day. Most were at a loss for words, trying to piece together the events that were unfolding in two of America’s most important cities. In the end, 2,974 people were killed, and thousands of families and relatives were left with a hole in their lives, victims in another, equally tragic way. All we can do now, seven years removed from this infamous day, is remember those who lost their lives, and most importantly remember those who sacrificed their lives- the firefighters, police officers, and emergency personal- to save people they didn’t even know. It was truly a day where ordinary men were called upon to do extraordinary things. May the dead rest in peace, and may those affected by this tragedy find solace in the fact that an entire nation is collectively grieving for their losses.