Sept. 11 not a holiday

Thoughts of the upcoming week fill our subconscious with dread and anger. When that week is over, exactly one year will have passed since the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001. It has been a very tumultuous year, filled with painful memories scarred into our minds that we, as a country, are unwilling or unable to forget. Sept. 11 means something important deep inside every American, whether protecting the "homeland" or in the comfort of their own home. However, in order to ease the comfort, people will congregate into groups to look for answers, asking the question that must be asked: How will Americans recognize the events of Sept. 11, not only in the present, but in future generations as well?\nA memorial in honor of Sept. 11 is unnecessary because the remembrances are a very personal issue and not one to be mandated by the government. In the next week, many well-meaning people will have their own ideas on how to best honor those who died and how to cope with the aftermath. Because there are so many involved, and because the effects of the past year touch each and every one of us, no one idea will be absolutely suitable to everyone. Will the new date which will live in infamy be remembered only temporarily, or will its lasting legacy spread across generational lines and become a sanctified holiday?\nIt is possible, though seemingly unlikely to a modern audience, that the anniversary of the tragedy may only last until next year. National tragedies only stay in the public conscious for so long. The Oklahoma City bombing and the shootings at Columbine High School both eventually left the public consciousness, without a holiday or day of remembrance to mark their passing. Whether this is correct cannot be debated without serious moral dilemma. \nOn the other hand, it is possible that the day may become an official day of remembrance, similar to Memorial Day or Veterans' Day. While this may seem to be the best and most reasonable answer to the dilemma, it instead only asks more questions and causes more problems than before. In years previous, Memorial Day was once treated with all the solemnity that we treat Sept. 11 today, but years have taken away its once noble meaning. \nNow, Memorial Day is no longer a day of remembrance, but instead a holiday ushering in the summer. Memorial Day weekend is now the time to go to a blockbuster premiere, cookout with friends and family and start wearing the color white -- not to visit a cemetery and honor the dead.\nIf Sept. 11 was to become a national holiday, what would prevent it from overtaking Labor Day as the official "last weekend of summer"? Would the American populace eventually become used to barbecues and summer get-togethers on that day? Would the unthinkable happen, and the events eventually be forgotten and made into a mere piece of history?\nIn order to best remember those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, as well as the events that transpired when America was under attack, the answer must be found within. Buildings may crumble, rubble may be swept away and monuments may be erected, but one thing that should be remembered is the unity the day brought to us. Honoring a horrific event only remembers the pain and suffering caused. To remember the unity which brought us together -- unity not forced by anyone, only brought on by ourselves -- deserves remembrances, but not a national holiday.