9/11: Never Forget

"Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our tallest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. We will not tire, we will not falter, we will not fail." ~George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States

The tragedy of the September 11, 2001 attacks is not lost on us - we will never forget the thousands of people who perished during those attacks: from the victims in the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the airliners to the first responders on the scene saving as many people as they can. And to those first responders, I would like to express much gratitude for your service and sacrifices. It must have been very difficult and psychologically damaging to deal with a tragedy of such grand proportions as this. But your sacrifices and service were not in vain at all.

The Transportation Security Administration was founded two months after the attack and, according to PBS NewsHour, this included "stricter guidelines on passenger and luggage screening" and "an ever-changing array of machinery and procedures were introduced to scan for weapons and destructive items". Also according to PBS NewsHour, airplanes fortified their cockpit doors, and some airliners dropped first-class cabin curtains. Overall, these changes, among others such as the PATRIOT Act helped to improve air transportation and national security.

May the families of the victims be blessed with love and peace in these times of grief and despair. It's hard to lose loved ones, and we grieve over the loss of them - that is normal, and human.

As a nation, we will never forget the tragic events of 9/11. As George W. Bush said, "We will not tire, we will not falter, we will not fail."

Resources

1. CNN's List of Victims
2. 9/11 Memorial Website's List of Victims
3. History Channel's Article on 9/11
4. PBS NewsHour's Ways We Have Changed article