In Memory

Today marks the  12th anniversary of a very dark day in American history, September 11th 2001. It was a very sad day because of the horrors we witnessed, the lives cut short, and the sense of security we lost. What we also witnessed was the human reaction to being attacked; after the sadness set in, we quickly observed anger and the desire for immediate revenge. It is a natural tendency to become angry and to want to strike back after being hurt or attacked by another person or group. And we saw many instances of this, as hate crimes against Muslims (or anyone who might be confused as looking Middle Eastern or Muslim) occurred in our very country, and wars began in reaction to the attacks. However, as some time has passed since 9/11, we can see that giving in to our natural reaction of hate and violence does not solve anything, leaving us in the same place we were, maybe even worse. We must overcome our natural tendency toward revenge after being hurt, and instead recognize the need for increased love and compassion to prevent hurtful acts in the future. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." More violence will not lead to end of violence, only peaceful thoughts and actions can. To honor the memory of the victims of 9/11, let's move away from violence and war as a solution to disagreements and towards the path of compassion. Promoting and developing compassion in ourselves and future generations is our only shot at achieving world peace.