Nine years later, do we remember?

Nine years later, do we remember?

   Like most of you, I have little trouble remembering where I was and what I was doing on September 11, 2001.

   For me, the day started like any other: Another day, another deadline.

Specifically, I was on a newspaper deadline in West Union, at The People’s Defender, the morning of September 11, 2001.

   And though nine years have passed since that fateful day, its memory remains vivid.

   I recall a news reporter, Amanda Crago, coming back from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office with word of the first hijacked plane crashing into

the north tower of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York. That crash, American Airlines Flight 11, occurred at approximately 8:46 a.m. At

9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the WTC south tower. Thirty-four minutes later, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. And at 10:03 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in a field outside Shanksville, Pa.

   There were no survivors of any of the flights. The death toll was almost 3,000.

   Since we did not have high-speed Internet access or television hookup at the newspaper at that time, I recall turning the radio to WLW-AM in Cincinnati. We listened as all the news and morning drive-time talk radio switched to the sole topic of what we now know as the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

   I recall making a quick phone call to see if my wife, who was busy home-schooling our son, Colin, after dropping Caitlin and Meghan off at

Highland County Christian School for only their second day of NOT being home-schooled, had heard the news. She hadn’t.

   Looking back, Pam said, “That makes a parent feel really good. You take your children to school and the country is attacked by terrorists a few minutes after you leave. It was scary.”

   I recall several other things from that day nine years ago. Some memories may be a bit trivial, others are not so trivial. A friend and co-worker asked if he could take an early lunch and go to Mrs. (Esther) Greene’s to stock up on some ammunition.

   I told him to go ahead. (I figured if he was determined to buy a few shells, I really didn’t want him mad at me in the process.)

   A gas station down the road a bit to the east quickly raised its prices, perhaps thinking a rationing call was in order, or perhaps thinking you make hay when the sun shines. I don’t know.

   But what I do know is this. For an all-too-brief period of time in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Americanism was back “in vogue.” 

   Even in places like Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and New York. While we realize that Americanism never went “out of vogue” in the

heartland, it took a bit of a re-awakening in many of our nation’s metropolitan areas.

   Face it, prior to 9/11, many of us were simply too complacent or indifferent to show an ounce of patriotism. For those so inclined, it’s long

been more popular to run this great republic down that it’s ever been to support it. That all changed, albeit briefly, on this day nine years ago. In

the initial aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, Americans were reunited as one. No one dared to suggest otherwise.

   There was a similar feeling of unity on the one-year anniversary of Sept. 11. By the second and third anniversaries, that feeling was all but gone. Today, the date is barely a blip on the National Security radar screen. 

   Locally, there will be a Sept. 11, 2001 ninth anniversary commemoration at noon Saturday, Sept. 11 on the Highland County Courthouse lawn.

   Shane Montgomery, pastor of the Grace Bible Church in Hillsboro, is the county coordinator, in conjunction with the Awakening America Alliance. The alliance is a “cooperative initiative within the body of Christ to increase awareness of the deep spiritual need in today’s America and to pursue a new Christ awakening in our nation that will impact our world,” according its website, www.awakeningamerica.us.

   According to Montgomery, approximately 30 Ohio counties are holding observances on Sept. 11. “This is an increase from last year when 26

counties participated,” he said. “We would like to see all 88 counties in Ohio participate.” 

   Of course it’s difficult to remember the terrorist attacks when so many prefer to forget. Once upon a time, Americans rallied around phrases like “Remember the Alamo,” “Remember the Maine,” or “Remember Pearl Harbor.”

   When it comes to remembering Sept. 11, though, we’re told to be more tolerant. 

   Terrorists are no longer called terrorists. They’re now called insurgents. (They’re only practicing civil disobedience, after all.) Face it, someone who plants an improvised explosive device along a roadway is not an “insurgent.” He’s a killer.

   But that’s not important; most of us have long forgotten how we felt on Sept. 11, 2001. Today, we’re more concerned with remembering to update

Facebook than remembering the deaths of 3,000 people.

   The national media continue to let the date come and go with minimal attention. Maybe next year, on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, we all will remember. Maybe.

***

   As an Adams County resident (suburban Tranquility way), I couldn’t help but chuckle at a recent meeting of the Highland County commissioners when a

representative from Horizon Communications said Adams would be one of the last of 33 Ohio counties to be connected with its broadband Internet access project. That’s OK. We’ve grown accustomed to such oversights.

   Adams may be Ohio’s first county in the alphabetical order, but the county might as well be Z-Adams for everything else. From politics to business investors, it seems that Adams County is too often overlooked.

   Another case in point was Gov. Ted Strickland’s recent appointments to the Southern State Community College Board of Trustees.

   Despite the college’s existing bylaws for the board rotation of county representation, Strickland is now five for five in ignoring Adams County.

With all due respect to each and every Strickland appointee, the college’s bylaws for county representation are clear. Yet, the policy is ignored again and again by Gov. Strickland.

   On a different note, it was good to hear that current SSCC President Dr. Kevin Boys, SSCC South Campus Director Dr. Peggy Chalker and former SSCC

president Dr. Sherry Stout are working together with the inaugural class of Leadership Adams. Dr. Boys is a class participant and Dr. Chalker and Dr.

Stout are on the LA board. They’ve already provided great leadership to the southern Ohio region, and it’s encouraging that they are giving of their time for Adams County.

Rory Ryan is publisher and editor of The Highland County Press.

Like most of you, I have little trouble remembering where I was and what I was doing on September 11, 2001.

   For me, the day started like any other: Another day, another deadline.

Specifically, I was on a newspaper deadline in West Union, at The People’s Defender, the morning of September 11, 2001.

   And though nine years have passed since that fateful day, its memory remains vivid.

   I recall a news reporter, Amanda Crago, coming back from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office with word of the first hijacked plane crashing into the north tower of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York. That crash, American Airlines Flight 11, occurred at approximately 8:46 a.m. At 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the WTC south tower. Thirty-four minutes later, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. And at 10:03 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in a field outside Shanksville, Pa.

   There were no survivors of any of the flights. The death toll was almost 3,000.

   Since we did not have high-speed Internet access or television hookup at the newspaper at that time, I recall turning the radio to WLW-AM in Cincinnati. We listened as all the news and morning drive-time talk radio switched to the sole topic of what we now know as the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

   I recall making a quick phone call to see if my wife, who was busy home-schooling our son, Colin, after dropping Caitlin and Meghan off at Highland County Christian School for only their second day of NOT being home-schooled, had heard the news. She hadn’t.

   Looking back, Pam said, “That makes a parent feel really good. You take your children to school and the country is attacked by terrorists a few minutes after you leave. It was scary.”

   I recall several other things from that day nine years ago. Some memories may be a bit trivial, others are not so trivial. A friend and co-worker asked if he could take an early lunch and go to Mrs. (Esther) Greene’s to stock up on some ammunition.

   I told him to go ahead. (I figured if he was determined to buy a few shells, I really didn’t want him mad at me in the process.)

   A gas station down the road a bit to the east quickly raised its prices, perhaps thinking a rationing call was in order, or perhaps thinking you make hay when the sun shines. I don’t know.

   But what I do know is this. For an all-too-brief period of time in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Americanism was back “in vogue.” 

   Even in places like Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and New York. While we realize that Americanism never went “out of vogue” in the

heartland, it took a bit of a re-awakening in many of our nation’s metropolitan areas.

   Face it, prior to 9/11, many of us were simply too complacent or indifferent to show an ounce of patriotism. For those so inclined, it’s long been more popular to run this great republic down that it’s ever been to support it. That all changed, albeit briefly, on this day nine years ago. In the initial aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, Americans were reunited as one. No one dared to suggest otherwise.

   There was a similar feeling of unity on the one-year anniversary of Sept. 11. By the second and third anniversaries, that feeling was all but gone. Today, the date is barely a blip on the National Security radar screen. 

   Locally, there will be a Sept. 11, 2001 ninth anniversary commemoration at noon Saturday, Sept. 11 on the Highland County Courthouse lawn.

   Shane Montgomery, pastor of the Grace Bible Church in Hillsboro, is the county coordinator, in conjunction with the Awakening America Alliance. The alliance is a “cooperative initiative within the body of Christ to increase awareness of the deep spiritual need in today’s America and to pursue a new Christ awakening in our nation that will impact our world,” according its website, www.awakeningamerica.us.

   According to Montgomery, approximately 30 Ohio counties are holding observances on Sept. 11. “This is an increase from last year when 26 counties participated,” he said. “We would like to see all 88 counties in Ohio participate.” 

   Of course it’s difficult to remember the terrorist attacks when so many prefer to forget. Once upon a time, Americans rallied around phrases like “Remember the Alamo,” “Remember the Maine,” or “Remember Pearl Harbor.”

   When it comes to remembering Sept. 11, though, we’re told to be more tolerant. 

   Terrorists are no longer called terrorists. They’re now called insurgents. (They’re only practicing civil disobedience, after all.) Face it, someone who plants an improvised explosive device along a roadway is not an “insurgent.” He’s a killer.

   But that’s not important; most of us have long forgotten how we felt on Sept. 11, 2001. Today, we’re more concerned with remembering to update Facebook than remembering the deaths of 3,000 people.

   The national media continue to let the date come and go with minimal attention. Maybe next year, on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, we all will remember. Maybe.

***

   As an Adams County resident (suburban Tranquility way), I couldn’t help but chuckle at a recent meeting of the Highland County commissioners when a representative from Horizon Communications said Adams would be one of the last of 33 Ohio counties to be connected with its broadband Internet access project. That’s OK. We’ve grown accustomed to such oversights.

   Adams may be Ohio’s first county in the alphabetical order, but the county might as well be Z-Adams for everything else. From politics to business investors, it seems that Adams County is too often overlooked.

   Another case in point was Gov. Ted Strickland’s recent appointments to the Southern State Community College Board of Trustees.

   Despite the college’s existing bylaws for the board rotation of county representation, Strickland is now five for five in ignoring Adams County.

With all due respect to each and every Strickland appointee, the college’s bylaws for county representation are clear. Yet, the policy is ignored again and again by Gov. Strickland.

   On a different note, it was good to hear that current SSCC President Dr. Kevin Boys, SSCC South Campus Director Dr. Peggy Chalker and former SSCC president Dr. Sherry Stout are working together with the inaugural class of Leadership Adams. Dr. Boys is a class participant and Dr. Chalker and Dr. Stout are on the LA board. They’ve already provided great leadership to the southern Ohio region, and it’s encouraging that they are giving of their time for Adams County.

Rory Ryan is publisher and editor of The Highland County Press.