Remembering 9/11

As we commemorate the eighth anniversary of one of the most tragic events in American history, I urge everyone to take a moment to reflect on how we were changed by Sept. 11, 2001.
When the towers fell, so did some of our nation’s innocence. We lost too many Americans who were simply going about their daily lives. We saw the collapse of two icons in the Twin Towers, the Pentagon ablaze and devastation across a field in Pennsylvania.

We lost much, but we also gained much. New appreciation for the bravery and self-sacrifice of individuals. A greater resolve to stand together. A stronger capacity for compassion and consideration for our fellow beings. A deeper appreciation for our way of life that celebrates diversity, understanding and tolerance.

I believe we also gained a better understanding of who we are as a people and a family.

We’ll never know what contributions those we lost would have made in creating a better world, but we can keep alive the memory of who they were and what they meant to us and our nation.

Flags at Fresno State are flying at half-staff today.