I’m greatly troubled with some people I have spoken to who believe we must move on and that there is too much talk about 9/11 after 12 years. They also pointed out this opens too many wounds all over again.
Well I beg to differ.
We have lost thousands of good people, which includes the 343 firefighters, policemen and EMS workers that gave up their lives to save the many. Husband lost wives, fathers lost sons, mothers lost daughters and friends lost friends. How does one forget?
On this anniversary we all needed to remember all that was lost that day of terrorism that truly was an act of pure evil.
Future generations need to know what happen on that day. For when we disregard history we are doomed to repeat it.
Now on that note, I would like to mention a moving and quite uplifting 9/11 concert on Sept. 11, that I attended at Our Lady of the Snows in Floral Park.
The pastor of the parish is Rev. Kevin F. McBrien, who told me he had great hopes for this event. At the event there were first responders like firefighters, police officers, and our local Glen Oaks Ambulance corp., that were honored for their service.
They had a mixed choir, violinist, guitar, flute, piano, cello player and organist. We also had a group who played a patriotic song with bells. The music director was Lisa Kelly who put together an inspiring evening.
Many people filled the parish and engaged in prayer, hope and love that this doesn’t happen again. One of the songs that was sung by three men was by Lee Greenwood and called, “God bless the U.S.A.”
When they got to the part that went, “And I gladly stand up next to you, and defend her still today,” a woman got up and motioned us all to stand up and sing the rest of the song along with the trio, which we all did.
Now this concert proved to me that patriotism is alive and well and that we will never forget. My many thanks go out to Rev. McBrien and his committee who made this happen. May God bless America on another 9/11 and mourn all the good people that were taken from our midst on that fateful day.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.
Glen Oaks Village
