It is hard to believe that 10 years have passed since 9-11-01. But on Sunday, the nation will take pause at 10 a.m. (PST) to observe a National Moment of Remembrance marking one of the most horrifying days in the annals of American history.
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Introduced by New Jersey Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg and unanimously voted in to resolution by the U.S. Senate on July 22 to commemorate that terrible day and the many lives lost during the worst hostile attack ever on American shores, the National Moment of Remembrance calls on “every person across the country to stop and remember those lost in the September 11 attacks.”
The resolution has an interesting and appropriate twist. In addition to the moment of silence, commemorations across the nation will also include the sounding of police and firefighter sirens and bells in recognition of the significant sacrifices made on 9-11 by first responders, many of whom lost their lives in service to others.
Similar to Dec. 7, 1941 – famously declared as “a date which will live in infamy” by FDR after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor without warning – the Sept. 11, 2001, attack took our nation utterly by surprise, making both incidents that much more villainous.
However, unlike 1941, which was considered an unthinkable attack against the U.S. military without a formal declaration of war; Sept. 11 was a shocking attack on civilians that went far beyond insidious – it exhibited an unfathomable level of inhuman brutality.
It’s a constant reminder that pure evil exists with a sole purpose to see our great nation fall.
The chasm left on Sept. 11 feels like it will never be filled and perhaps that is why the architects of the National September 11th Memorial and Museum decided to construct two reflecting pools on the site of Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, now One World Trade Center, representing the voids left by the catastrophe. I plan to tune in to watch the various ceremonies that will be held there on Sunday, despite the dismay that Mayor Bloomberg has inspired by barring clergy from conducting services at Ground Zero – a move that seems just plain bizarre under the circumstances.
But I digress. Here in Newport Beach, our little slice of American heaven, on Sunday evening at 7 p.m., St. James Anglican Church will host a free 9-11 memorial concert open to the community, entitled “Sorrow, Resilience & Hope” featuring the talented 40-member Orange County Collegiate Orchestra.
St. James’ Pastor Richard Crocker says “this concert will give us the pause we need to remember that day of sorrow and to celebrate the resilience of America and the hope of her people.”
St. James is at 3209 Via Lido. There will be free childcare for ids 5 and younger and a special reception will follow the concert. Free parking is available in the lot across from the church, as well as ample street parking.
For more information, visit www.stjamesnb.org or call 949-675-0210.
Columnist Lynn Selich resides in Newport Beach and can be reached at LynnSelich@roadrunner.com.
