Today was a great day for September 11. I was able to speak to just about all of Mr. Brady's history classes about emergency response on that fateful day, and how the results from that response helped us change much of law enforcement and first responder response for the better.
I was impressed with the thoughtful questions posed by these 8th graders today. They asked me very specific questions at times, and very broad questions at others. But I described to them how many people forget to think of how law enforcement, firefighting, and Emergency Response all changed because of that day... that seemed to start out like any other day.
The kids participated by acknowledging that our country does seem to have forgotten, even though their teacher stressed how we told ourselves back then that we would never forget. We are so divided now, it almost seems like September 12th never happened.
Some of the kids couldn't believe it when I told them that front porches everywhere flew an American flag out in front of their houses the day after the dreaded incident. But they also understood why the event forced this country to change for good. Regardless of where people place blame, and what the truth about government and inside jobs really is surrounding the event - it wasn't my place to force them to consider such things. What I wanted them to know was that almost 3000 people got up that morning like they had every other day of their lives...and then in an instant, they were gone. Those people lost their lives, and we should not pretend it was for nothing. We should at least make their lives worth something, by never forgetting.
The kids were fascinated by the changes I explained that happened, to at least improve emergency preparedness across the country, from plain talk on radio between agencies, to the sharing of information across agencies and the formation of the DHS. Regardless of what people think of government overreach, including people like me - we are better prepared to scramble to help each other in crises now than we were back in 2001.
Working with kids as a school resource officer puts days like September 11th in perspective these days. Can someone like 'little old me' make a difference, and help these kids in my little corner of the world, understand the importance of history, I ask myself. These kids seemed to get it, when I told them that 9/11 was like another Pearl Harbor day for me. I hope the lesson sank in. I hope and pray the kids take me up on my challenge to them; to read up and find as much about 9/11 as they can, from as many sources as they can, and never trust just one source. I hope and pray, that somehow, some way, I helped them to never forget.
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