Letter: We will never forget

Dear Editor,

It is more critical than ever to remember the horrific terrorist murder of our brothers and sisters on Sept. 11, 2001.

I was honored and privileged to attend “our” hometown “Remember” ceremony last Friday at the Hickories Park Memorial. Thank you to Don Castellucci for ensuring the ceremony came into existence and continues forward. Thank you to Jim Raftis, Sr. for again being an excellent Master of Ceremonies. Well done my friends!

Remembering! We Americans, especially those born and raised here, regardless of color and ethnicity, even the poorest among us, have had the privilege of living safe, secure, and for most part happy productive lives to the best of our respective abilities because of the police and our military.

Remember the past, but also that not one of us alive today is responsible for what happened hundreds of years ago. We did not cause it nor did our children. So being tutored to feel guilty about the past is inane, as we cannot change the past. BUT, we can remember its follies so as to not make them again and also remember the strengths that allowed us to become the premiere nation that even to this day is the envy and desired destination for many.

American born Americans tend towards short-term memories, thanks to consistent 30-second sound bites that lack depth, or on trivial transient celebrities that would not or could not relate to their average fan beyond accepting our money to further “their” wealth and privileges.

But our short memory and dependence on others to make our minds up for us, based on their entertainment abilities be it singing, acting ability, or to throw a football or swing a bat is dangerous. It permits those that continue to seek harm to our nation as a whole to accomplish their goals. Yes we have faults, but we have made great strides in resolving them.

Memories of past events, even those we were not responsible for, are crucial to ensure we do not repeat them. Removing words, language, statues, images, buildings, etc. from our national site is the equivalent of burying our heads in the sand and furthers the agenda of those who want to continue their destructive goals against our beloved nation.

The terrorist attacks of 9-11-01 was but a step, remember the prior bomb attack on the Trade Center or the Boston Marathon, in the long sighted goals of those that wish to destroy our Nation. Their destructive agenda is still being pursued under disguises of social justices, while shielding themselves with the very Constitution they seek to destroy.

At 86 years young, when I was 14-15 years old, my grandmother tried to alert me about a future danger where such destructive goals could arise. She would say, “Our very freedoms are what will allow threats to them. We, as a nation, must not allow the threats to win or we all lose.”

I finally understand gram. I finally understand.

Sincerely,

Earl Hartman

Owego, N.Y.