Patch Series: A Reflection on Sept. 11

This Sunday will mark the 10^th anniversary of the events that took place Sept. 11, 2001.

I recall arriving on my college campus in the early morning and watching fellow students, professors and staff glued to the hanging television sets.

The images of a passenger jet crashing into the tower mesmerized us, as if it were a surreal image – a made-for-TV movie.

Then, the second tower was hit, and it became all too real.

I couldn’t reach my godparents in New York, or my family in Philadelphia. It seemed as if all communication had broken down.

It was more confusing and disorienting to see how certain individuals in this country reacted in the proceeding years. Suddenly, it seemed like there were stars and stripes hanging outside every home, on car bumpers and on politicians’ dark-suited lapels, representing a new sense of unity and patriotism.

However, the aftermath of the attacks also seemed to fragment the nation. The media soon began showing images of war and war protestors, and there were reports of discrimination because of religious or ethnic heritage. It seemed a growing wave of anger and hate, as recorded by the media, brought down how the world sees us as Americans. It was as if the world couldn’t understand why we held on to this unified front, given the internal grumblings and overseas aggression.

But, despite this, for me, witnessing how we can triumph over tragedy through unity was the clear message in the aftermath of Sept. 11.

The anger and violence to ensue afterward didn’t seem nearly as important as the way people in this country came together to both risk their lives to aid victims of the attacks, and to send victims their support, on that day and in the present day.

By focusing on this crest of humanitarianism, we can honor the memory of the thousands of lives lost, and have a strong sense of pride, not only as a nation, but also as the individual communities that were undoubtedly affected by this national tragedy.

At Upper Moreland – Willow Grove Patch, we’ve invited several members of the community to share their own understanding of how the Sept. 11 events affected them and how they understand the day's meaning.

• Yesterday, who sees her time volunteering as a way to counteract the “monstrous evil” that took place on that day.

• Tomorrow night at 6 p.m., we will feature a of how Upper Moreland’s faith-based and general community instantly came together to comfort and support one another, as well as other accounts of experiences from across the county.

• On Thursday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m., another Patch blogger and member of Upper Moreland’s faith-based community will provide his thoughts regarding the question “Where was God when it happened?”

• On Friday, Upper Moreland – Willow Grove Patch will feature an interview with a member of the Willow Grove Volunteer Fire Company and his understanding of the events.

• On Sept. 11 itself, Patch will cover the , which is scheduled to take place from 3 to 4 p.m. at .

I’d also like to invite you, as a member of the community, to share your own thoughts about the date and its aftermath here in the comments section.