Observing the 15th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001

Our Strength as a Nation

Our strength as a nation was tested that day, but then, as now, we continue to believe that it is the very diversity of our nation’s people and our commitment to live and work together for the good of all that makes us a great, powerful and enlightened nation.”

The Rev. Mark Lukens

The Herald asked our spiritual and governmental leaders, as well as the community’s “movers and shakers,” about their feelings and insights on this, the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Do you feel safer since 9/11/01?

Sen. Charles Schumer: Praise God, we haven’t had a single successful terrorist incident in New York since 9/11 — and that’s not for lack of trying by the terrorists. First, the NYC police department, in particular, the joint terrorism task force, is the top counter-terrorism force in the world. They’re dedicated and incredible. So, it’s not an accident that we haven’t had a terrorist attack. Second, I’ve fought hard in Congress to secure hundreds of millions in federal Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) funding for New York, which provides our first responders with critical anti-terror funds to help keep us safe.

Do you think the Freedom Tower is a fitting tribute to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11?

The rebuilding of all of the World Trade Center, and our whole City, is the most fitting tribute to those who died on 9-11. Ultimately, the backward thinking, murderous thugs who carried out the atrocity that day were attacking our way of life, our freedoms, our equality, the dynamism of our economy and our tolerance and diversity. The answer to that threat is to defiantly rebuild that society — its physical space as well as our values —better and stronger than it was before that attack. I feel we have done that. And I have every confidence that we will meet future challenges from these same forces of darkness with the same resolve, and that we will triumph over them.

Mayor Bruno Romano: The Freedom Tower symbolizes our freedom here in the United States. We have been proactive against those cowards, and have rebuilt our tower, which expresses the freedom that Americans have in our wonderful country.
 
If you could add a thought to our children’s' history books about that day, what would it be?

Sen. Schumer: There are certain days in history when we each lose a little bit of our innocence. The September 11th attacks were so evil; it affected us right in the core. The bad part was that we each realized that the world was a different place than it used to be. But, the good part was watching the resilience in the people through all of this. In the days after 9/11, people thought that lower Manhattan would become a ghost town, businesses will leave and people will never live there. But New Yorkers are great people and we were strong and bounced back. 9/11 had a bad lesson and a good lesson.

Mayor Romano: September 11, 2001 certainly was, and will always be a solemn day in our lives. We will always remember the horrific attacks that have taken place in our country. As a result of this situation, we are now all vigilant of our surroundings, which in the past we have taken for granted. My thought would be that we should always be prepared for our enemies, as they are envious of the freedom that we have here in the United States of America. 
 
How do you remember feeling that day?

Sen. Charles Schumer: I remember it vividly; I was in the House gym and somebody tapped me on the shoulder and said you better watch the T.V., it looks like a plane flew into the World Trade Center. We couldn’t tell in the first few minutes what had happened; it looked like a little plane. And, then the second plane hit the other tower, and we realized just how serious it was. I got into my car to get to my office and the first thing I did was call my wife. Our greatest worry was about my daughter, who was at Stuyvesant High School. It took us a few hours to find her — she was on the ninth floor, and because they couldn’t use the elevators she helped an elderly English teacher safely walk down the stairs.
 The next day we went to visit the site and you could smell death in the air. The thing that sears in my memory and that I think of everyday were the hundreds and hundreds of people holding up signs saying things like: ‘Have you seen my daughter?’ and ‘Have you seen my father?’ At that point we didn’t know who was lost and who wasn’t lost, and there was a great deal of hope that people were still alive. That night we grieved.
 
Mayor Romano: That morning I happen to be at JFK airport meeting one of my clients. Somehow I looked up, and at a distance I saw smoke coming from the World Trade Center. At first I thought that perhaps a small commuter plane had crashed into the building. I returned back to my office, and then discovered that a second plane has hit our second tower. At that point my heart dropped, and I became extremely emotional, thinking of all those poor souls and our rescue workers who were responding to the scene. I remember very clearly that I had to excuse myself from my staff members, and went into a quiet area to pray.

For the history books
Rev. Mark Lukens, Bethany Congregational Church, East Rockaway: If I could put something in our children’s history books about that day it would go something like this: The terrible attacks that took place on Sept. 11, 2001, are a grim reminder of what happens when people embrace twisted ideologies based on fear and hatred of those who are different from them whether it is due to nationality, creed or race. Such ideologies are the antithesis of the core American belief that all human beings are created equal in worth with God-given rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Our strength as a nation was tested that day, but then, as now, we continue to believe that it is the very diversity of our nation’s people and our commitment to live and work together for the good of all that makes us a great, powerful and enlightened nation. Americans represent every color, every ethnicity, every religion on earth, but all of us are Americans and that is what makes this nation ultimately victorious in the face of terror.

Moments at the East Rockaway memorial
Richard Meagher, former deputy mayor, community activist: My memory of that day are of an absolutely beautiful morning, and having a second cup of coffee and watching the news on T.V. — then the first plane hit. I remained glued to the T.V. for the rest of the day, transfixed and horrified. I had previously made plans to have dinner with friends at a restaurant in East Rockaway called the Ship’s Inn. We went anyway — we felt we had to eat — the evening felt strange.
I returned home and stayed up with the television. I was a member of the East Rockaway Village Board at the time, and when we next gathered we immediately planned a service in Memorial Park. That was the only memorial service the Village held that was not on the 9/11 date – every year since, regardless of the day of the week, the Village holds its memorial service in park on the anniversary date of 9/11.
The Freedom Tower is an important symbol and reminder of both that fateful day and our recovery from that tragedy – but I will always come to spend a quiet moment at our own Village Memorial in Memorial Park, with its first phase of the black stone memorial, the second phase of the individual markers for those with ties to East Rockaway, and the third phase of the steel girders standing like sentinels watching over the memorial.

We must remain vigilant
C. William Gaylor III, Nassau County Legislator, District 6: As the 15th anniversary of the horrific tragedy that occurred on 9/11/01 approaches, we reflect back to that feeling of fear and uncertainty that riddled our country.  Since then the world has evolved into a place where terroristic acts are prevalent and unfortunately a common event. We have seen the proliferation of terrorist groups, including ISIS/ISIL, Boko Haram, al-Qaida and HAMAS. Today, the U.S. State Department lists approximately 65 known and active terrorist organizations that have engaged in actual terrorist attacks or are possibly planning future attacks.  The world is not a safer place, as evidenced by the increasing number of attacks that are happening throughout the world on an almost monthly basis since 2001 when Americans felt the full brunt of a coordinated multi-prong attack on our nation – an attack that left an indelible mark on our families, friends and community. 
We remember those who lost their lives on that horrible day. I thank all of our first responders from all over the country that answered the call on that day. I thank all of the men and women who are serving in the Armed Forces of the United States, both past and present. We continue to live free because of the sacrifices our veterans have made for our country and way of life and remain indebted. 
Let’s not forget that the world, including our beloved United States of America, is not as safe as it was once was and that we must remain ever vigilant towards combating terrorism.

Americans rallied
Rabbi Warmflash, Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Centre: September 11 brought home our vulnerability to terrorism like no other event in my memory.
Like many people, I can remember exactly where I was when the planes struck, and the feeling of disbelief, outrage and anger that overcame me as I realized what had actually happened. If there was anything good that came out of this tragedy, it was how Americans of all kinds rallied to help each other in ways that seemed unprecedented.
While the dangers of the world we live in are real, I think it is important not to give the terrorists the victory they sought. This means denying them the ability to disrupt our lives or fill our hearts with fear. It means safe guarding not only our physical safety as a notion but preserving the values they despise: our commitment to civil liberties and the rule of law, even in the face of extreme provocation.