The Bakersfield Voice
Heroes are not Forgotten - September 11
Heroes are not Forgotten - September 11
Topics: 9/11, September 11th
Posted by bakomom Thu Sep 11, 2008 22:37:08 PDT
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The people who died on September 11, 2001, are they the forgotten heroes? The family members who are dealing with the loss, people who are still dealing with the tragic events, are they forgotten? People who are dealing with how to move on. Or people living with post-traumatic stress syndrome, are they forgotten? What about the moms, dads and families trying to raise children who lost a parent, are they the forgotten heroes? Heroes that have sacrificed the utmost? Heroes that are still trying to find the strength to live on? I would be willing to bet these people have not forgotten the loss they have and are enduring daily trying to gather the strength to be strong and live another day.
September 11 every year is a day in which I feel like crying all day. Not just tearful, but the deep down sobbing, can’t catch your breath cry. Every year this is a very somber day for me. September 11, 2001 marks the day when everything in this country changed. Security and our perceived safety has changed forever. The day that changed how my daughter will live her life. The day that has now sent my brother-in-law and so many others to war fighting to ensure our freedom. This was the day that our freedom and security was exposed as fragile as it is. This day designated at Patriot day.
I started my day gathering the local paper from my front driveway. Eagerly, I unfolded anticipating September 11 front page coverage. To my complete disapproval, the article on the front page of our local paper, The Bakersfield Californian, was a small syndicated article. An article that was titled, “Terrorism, Are Americans still concerned?” This is all the coverage this important date gets from a media power house? An approximately 749 word article? That’s it? Giving their life, their family, their safety and all the local paper acknowledges is a tiny syndicated articled. More than 3,000 people died. That’s 4 times greater than the article word count. This is completely inexcusable. I would gather to venture, the heroes left behind dealing with the losses of this day would also find this lack of coverage unacceptable. However, I was relieved, said in an extemely sarcastic tone, that immediately following the above article was another syndicated article titled, “Hunt for Bin Laden stepped up”. Give me a break. What have we been doing? Sending troops without merit? The coverage on a local level for September 11 seemed completely negated.
In years past, I would get bombarded with emails regarding this day. This year, just a couple emails. The local TV coverage was virtually void. This was completely disappointing. Maybe the media has moved on to the next huge event, feeding that hungry media beast. Delighted I did see fair coverage on CNN. They acknowledged the moments of silence I feel the heroes, the families, the nation, and Americans deserve every year.
As I went on my day, I tried to forget about the lack of coverage. Thinking maybe I was too tired to acknowledge the small things people were doing to acknowledge this day. Or was it possible people were more stoic this September 11. Keeping thoughts, prayers and solitude to themselves? Was it me? Maybe I didn’t recognize the same level of patriotism today as I had years past on September 11?
As I continued on my day, I kept glancing around. Searching for clues that indicated people remembered this day in history. Looking for American flags waving high. Looking for the Police Officers and Fire Fighters, deserving to be showered with love and appreciation for their selfless sacrifices. I kept going about my day in a surreal state. Not noticing much around me has changed. I began to wonder if people had forgotten the heroes, the date, the people, the loss. Has the world forgotten?
At lunch, I had the pleasure of meeting with Dana Martin, the citizen journalism publication and web site editor for the Northwest Voice in Bakersfield. She is an absolute inspiration to women! Talking to her briefly about my thoughts about the day and my concern regarding the neglect for hero recognition. She proceeded to tell me an email she received in prior years about September 11. An email that states on September 11 in remembrance, turn your headlights on during daylight hours. On the way to the meeting she stated she looked around and saw people driving with their head lights on which caused her eyes to tear. Suspiciously, I asked, did people really remember? In the back of my head, I contemplated that it could be coincidence and the new bell and whistles new cars have with automatic headlight features on cars.
After our meeting concluded, I drove around town taking care of my domestic CEO responsibilities. I couldn’t help but notice, nearly every car I saw had their headlights on. The tears welled up in my eyes. I had to pull over my car and have my huge sobbing cry that I do every year.
People did remember these heroes. How idiotic of me to think they were forgotten by so many. They weren’t forgotten! Although the media coverage hadn’t been that of years past, people did remember. People acknowledge the heroes that have fallen, the heroes that are trying to get through the day, the soldiers fighting to ensure our freedom, the families left behind. People did remember. That thought provides me comfort and a renewed faith. There is a new hope. Even if something isn’t mentioned, doesn’t mean it’s forgotten.
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