Remembering 9/11/01 – and every 9/11 since

You probably need no reminder from us at RECOIL what today is. People often say, “Never Forget,” as though there is really much danger of that. We should remember 9/11, though. Not just on the anniversary of the attack and not just for the vast murder of so many civilians (of many countries), police officers, firefighters and military personnel. It's hard to articulate something like this without resorting to platitudes and hyperbole, but we should remember it also for how it changed everything; it fundamentally changed the world. We should remember every 9/11 thereafter as symbolic of the greater fight – which is by no means over.

We all have our stories about what happened “that day,” and we all have stories about how that singular event changed our lives every day since. The photo above, taken when the first flag went up at the Twin Towers, is symbolic of what we can accomplish in the face of overwhelming horror and adversity and of those men and women who went straight into chaos and carnage to render aid. The next two photos below are also 9/11 photos; they tells the stories of men, two of many, who gave their lives on 9/11 in Afghanistan and in Libya years later; this memorial bracelet and gravestone are each symbolic of all those who, with their families, have carried the fight started that Tuesday morning. Lastly, about the the final image I'll leave you with – it was taken at approximately midnight last night by a member of a unit belonging to the NYPD Special Operations Division. I believe that imagery speaks for itself.

Thank you to R of the NYPD for two pictures (one rarely seen, which is a shame), to Brad for sharing the picture of the bracelet remembering his friend, to S.T.A. Training Group for the image of Ambassador Stevens' gravestone and to Brian at Jinxlab for putting together the featured image for me.

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