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Should 911 be a National Holiday
I have a question. I have heard different people talking about 911 and wether it should be considered a National Holiday or not. I feel it should be and I'll tell you why. 20 yr's from now when kids are in school and they get the day off and ask why are we getting Sept. 11 off there parents can tell them, that's the day America came under attack and we lost alot of BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN that day. Plus I fell we as Americans forget to easy about what happens. I think we need to be reminded from time to time how good we have here. Ask some one on the street what happened on 09/11/01 and watch the replys you get. So if we make it a holiday then people will always remember. Just my thought.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Matthew on
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Spanner I think you are close to the mark, This day will never be forgotten, much like the Attack on Pearl Harbor will never be forgotten. Which was the first true attack on modern american soil. 9/11 was the first attack on american soil in the new millenium. It should not be a holiday, a day off for children and adults from work and school. It is a somber day much like memorial day, but when was the last time you used memorial day to reflect on those that gave their lives for your freedom? I'd be willing to bet most, aside from those participating in parades, were not reflective of the day or what it means.... to many it was just a long weekend to kick off summer a little early (I'm not accusing anyone here...just a generalization about most of the population, I know we as firefighters are very aware of it's meaning). Keep it like Pearl Harbor Day, and if that means making it a holiday for rememberance so be it... but this day far transcends the label of holiday. It is beyond substantial enough to never be forgotten, with or without the label "Federal Holiday". Stay safe..Never forget.... It is up to us to always remember
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Permalink Reply by junior on
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I agree with you but.... Diagree with you, here is why. I am all for making 9/11 a hoilday, but my fear is it will be treated like any other holiday, just loook in your paper around christmas,new years,thankgiving,memeriol day etc. What do you have? Corprate america trying to make a buck on the hoilday, not to many people even care about the trur meaning of alot of the current hoildays all they care about is" oh I can save money because of the sales" or great i get a day off from work" Or I will make more money if I work that day because it is a holiday" get the idea?
I belive it dhould be a day of remebrance, and if socity would ever stop and relizes how special the holidays are and what the true meaning of them are then yes I say make it a hoilday, but we all know that will not happen. and I will be dam if 9/11 is made a hoilday and people makes money off of it just because of what it is. instead of relizing what it means. Makes sense?
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Permalink Reply by Matt on
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Besides the atacks 9-11 kinds of makes sense for an Emergency Services Day anyways. As far as remberence goes we do have a ceromony every year where we not only honor those who lost their lives due to the terrorists but also our local heros who have fallen. Just last year I helped bury the man who took me into my first trainig fire (back when we could burn houses for training). So heres to the 343 brothers and sisters that died that day....and also to the 100 firefighters who die (on average) every year in the attempt to save a stranger's life.
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Permalink Reply by kel1985 on
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Vic,
Back on the first anniversary of 9/11, I would have wholeheartedly agreed with you. As an American and as a Firefighter I felt recognition of sacrifice was paid for in blood, sweat and tears.
Maybe I've mellowed as time has passed, maybe distance has improved my vision. Let me explain...
We have holidays in this country that remind us of how good it is here (Thanksgiving, Labor Day).
We have holidays to commemorate both our war dead and those who served (Memorial Day, Veterans Day).
We have holidays commemorated men who made our republic great (President's Day, Martin Luther King Day).
We have a holiday reminding us that we are free (Independence Day).
B
ut I honestly feel that having a holiday on 9/11 would be akin to having a holiday on December 7th or on a smaller scale November 22nd. Don't get me wrong, another paid day off would be nice, but let's find something in warm weather (tongue firmly in cheek).
We should remember the sacrifice that was made, some by men and women doing their jobs, some by ordinary people who stood up and said no.
But I can't justify commemorating it with a national holiday.
At Gettysburg, we lost 20,000+ Americans fighting for an idea (that was 2 days battle), on D-Day we lost 5,000+ American casualties alone (I can't quote on the other Allied losses that day), yet we don't have a national holiday to commemorate the sacrifice, rather we reflect and thank God we were victorious.
As far as purely firefighting related, what about the Great Chicago Fire? We have fire safety week, but do we remember how many people died in that conflagration?
Yes, I agree with many other people out there that in time 9/11 will lose its significance in the national psyche. It ultimately is inevitable, as those who were eyewitnesses (even through TV) age and eventually pass on, the day won't mean to future generations what it means to us now. What did we do to remember Pearl Harbor or D-Day last year?
Scars although present eventually fade in time.
Maybe one answer is to have our children learn the history of this nation in schools, rather than some political agenda. Make them watch videos of planes flying into towers, towers falling, chaos at the Pentagon and a smoking crater in Pennsylvania. Make them watch newsreels of Mitsubishi built Zeros attack Battleship Row, let them see the USS Arizona explode as the ammunition stores get hit, let them see sailors swimming for their lives in flaming oily water. For if we don't remember and learn from our history, we are doomed to repeat it.
While your idea is good in heart, I say celebrate victories, remember losses.
Sadly, there is nothing to celebrate about 9/11, only loss and sacrifice to remember.
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Permalink Reply by YOU GO, WE GO on
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i agree
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Permalink Reply by willy952 on
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im sorry i do not think 9/11 should be a holiday. why? here 9/11 we lost so many brother an sisters that it hurts to think about it ok we will never forget but like kal1985 said we have labor day 4th of july i say lets remember them everyday noy on one day a year
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Permalink Reply by Dwayne Womble on
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Im with you.
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Vic:
I absolutely agree that 9/11 should have a day of remembrance, though I wouldn't call it a "holiday". There are plenty of "holidays" to celebrate without adding another one. I think that the significance of that historic day should be discussed in schools forever.
Perhaps it should be treated like Veteran's Day. Kids stay in school and fire, police, EMS take the day to reflect.
Just my thoughts.
Art
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ok i'll give you the whole school thing lol day off workj/k but 9/11 to us is pearl harbor to are grand parents i know they never forgot neither will we
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Permalink Reply by Ricky Dale Maddox on
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I am not sure about makeing it a holiday , i mean just think all the firefighters police officers , the people that was in the towers, and the people in the planes was going about there normal jobs before this happened none of them new waht was going to happen,, i think maybe we shouldnt make it a holiday ,but it should be a remberence day , marked on the calendars someway and the times tha this occured could be when we rember , as well as all day long , i mean it should not be just thought of as 9/11 , we need to rember it all the time, because alot of us still and will have that day in our minds until the day we die, so i am not sure about a holiday, just dont never forget it no matter what day....
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