By New York State Senator Joseph A. Griffo, R-C-Rome, 53rd District
This year we commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
While more than two decades have now passed since that horrific day, most of us still remember where we were and what we were doing on Sept. 11, 2001.
That morning, I was in New York City helping complete a bond sale in my duties as mayor of the City of Rome. I also had tickets to watch my favorite team, the New York Yankees, play their longtime rival, the Boston Red Sox.
But everything changed that day.
Along with countless others, I watched in confusion and horror as planes struck the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. We would later learn that these attacks were an act of terror.
With ash blanketing buildings across lower Manhattan and smoke billowing through the streets, I watched as brave first responders rushed to the scene to help those in need. It was a chaotic and frightening scene.
Slowly, our collective shock and fear gave way to resolve. People stepped forward to help strangers they had never met. First responders risked life and limb to rescue those trapped in the rubble. Millions of Americans offered what they could — clothing, blankets, food and donations — to support the families of those who lost their lives.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed on Sept. 11, including some from my Senate district.
Twenty-five years later, the strength, courage and resolve shown by the first responders during and after the attacks and the families of those who perished remains fresh in my mind and will never be forgotten.
Despite the passage of time, it is important that we continue to remember, reflect and reconnect with what happened on that fateful day in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa.
We can do that by participating in and attending Sept. 11 memorial ceremonies taking place in communities across the state.
We can also honor the memory of those who died on 9/11 — including the firefighters, police officers and EMTs who rushed into the burning World Trade Center in a desperate attempt to save lives — by volunteering to help others in our own communities.
Whether it’s joining a volunteer fire department, visiting a local veterans’ hospital, or simply donating blood, each of us can make a meaningful difference in the lives of people who need our help.
On this significant and somber anniversary, I hope you will join me in remembering and honoring the lives lost on that tragic day and continue to demonstrate that we remain the strongest, most compassionate and most resilient nation in the world.
May God bless our United States.
