It has now been 15 years since one of the worst days in American history — a tragedy that many of us will remember forever. On this anniversary, it is a good time to reflect.
Each year on this date, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum has a “Tribute in Light”. This is
“an [iconic] art installation that is produced annually in New York on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Tribute in Light illuminates the New York City sky just south of the Memorial site. On 9/11, the 9/11 Memorial plaza is open to the public from 3 p.m. to midnight for the viewing of Tribute in Light.”
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum also has available online multimedia information about an incredible exhibit called “Rendering the Unthinkable: Artists Respond to 9/11.” Click on the preceding link to see the summary.
If you click on this link, you can see a video clip about one of the works of art. It is very moving. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum says the following about the clip:
“Papers, letters, business forms, and personal notes flutter through the air in this film by the creative collective, Blue Man Group. Inspired by the scraps of paper that blew from the World Trade Center into the yard of their rehearsal space in Brooklyn on Sept. 11, the members of Blue Man Group wrote the song, “Exhibit 13,” featuring spoken recitations of the papers’ contents, and created the accompanying video, both named after one of the scorched pieces of paper they found. Blue Man Group members Chris Wink, Matt Goldman,and Phil Stanton are New York residents and were in various locations in Manhattan on 9/11. The performance group is based in New York.”
There is a wonderful quality to humanity: That we can reflect upon and remember those lost during tragedy. As a New Yorker just a few miles from the Twin Towers on 9/11, this is not a day I take lightly. As scary as this day was, and as awful as terrorists are, the American people should not be as quick as they gave been to give up their liberties in exchange for safety.
This a trade-off we will be considering for years.
This year, I was able to see the Tribute in Light in NYC from the Jersey side on 9/11. It was honestly completely unforgettable. Skimming through the skyline, seeing the beams of light near the Freedom Tower, and seeing the Empire State Building shine its red, white, and blue showed me how far we have come as a country after this horrific day in history. As I looked around, I saw people of all different races, ages, income, sex, etc coming to see this tribute to pay their respects and to think of everything we lost that day. This attack on our country was supposed to make us fall, but on this night, it was as if we were all being united as a country and that is just something remarkable.
A complete tragedy that has impacted many people across the world also unites us as one. As a New Yorker, with many connections to people who were severely effected by these terrorist attacks, it is nice to see that people take this horrific action and turn it into something that brings many people together, to remember. Each year, everyone remembers the tragic events and although it is still painful, we are moving on in a positive way with various ways of remembering through forms of beautiful art.