Six months after the tragic events of September 11, President Bush said Monday that the nation, much like Ground Zero itself, can only be healed by time.
“Six months separate us from September the 11th. Yet, for the families of the lost, each day brings new pain; each day requires new courage,” Bush said Monday morning on the White House lawn to a crowd of American Armed Forces, the Congress, the Cabinet, the Supreme Court and a group of diplomatic representatives of the coalition of nations.
The aftermath from the attacks is still disrupting the lives and leaving scars in the memories of all Americans. Monday morning at 8:46 a.m., during a nationally televised ceremony in Battery Park, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg introduced a moment of silence to mark the moment the first of the two planes struck the twin towers.
Battery Park is the site of “The Sphere,” a 15-foot sculpture that once was found in the Trade Center plaza. Sculptor Fritz Koenig created “The Sphere” as a monument to world peace in 1971.
At the same time, throughout New York City, every member of the Police Department who was not responding to emergency calls gathered outside of their duty stations for a moment of silence and a reading of all of the names of the officers lost during the attack.
Cara Laughlin, a U of M marketing major, feels more removed from the Sept. 11 attacks, but said that the ceremonies could be a good thing for family members who lost loved ones in trying to gain closure on their loss, but could also be a bad thing for those who have already overcome the attacks.
To Laughlin, life is back to normal. She felt comfortable enough a month after the attacks to get back onto a plane.
The ceremony concluded with the ringing of the bells at Battery Park in the Fire Department’s 5-5-5-5 code, a sequence of five bell rings, in honor of the 343 members of the department who were killed in the collapse of the towers.
A second tribute took place with the illumination of the “Tribute in Light,” which will shine from a vacant lot near Ground Zero and will continue to shine from dusk until 11 p.m. for the next 32 nights.
The “Tribute in Light” is two columns of light constructed of 88 powerful, 7,000-watt search lights representing the twin towers themselves.
President Bush remembered the attacks by unveiling a World Trade Center memorial postage stamp on the White House lawn. The stamp will assist in raising funds for the families of lost rescue workers. The stamp will cost 45 cents, but will carry the standard 34-cent postage value. The extra 11 cents will be put into a fund set up by the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
The President spoke with a background of the flags of America’s allies in the fight against terrorism.
“Every nation should know that, for America, the war on terror is not just a policy. It’s a pledge,” Bush said. “I will not relent in this struggle for the freedom and security of my country and the civilized world.”
Erin McKinna, a University of Memphis international business major, said, “It is good to remember those lost, because it was so traumatic that the remembrance will help Americans to heal and gain some closure.”
The Memphis Police and Fire Departments did not set up or plan any memorial services. However, Latonya Abel of the Memphis Police Department, says that they are still in a statewide heightened state of alert.
Brian Payne, a U of M management information systems major, was disappointed in Memphis’ lack of participation in Monday’s ceremonies.
“Flying flags at half staff just shows respect for the victims’ families,” he said.
