The third anniversary

The third anniversary is a mystery. \nIn 2001, I was sitting in my high school U.S. government and politics class when, at 9 a.m., our principal asked every classroom to turn on their TVs. The weeks following were unforeseeable and unscripted, yet somehow Americans knew what to do. We tuned into the news, said hello to strangers and hoisted American flags.\nIn 2002, the distance between my family and I was difficult enough for my first couple weeks as a freshman. Though the first anniversary wasn't easy, it was predictable enough that I knew how to spend the day. I sat on the steps of Showalter Fountain, listening to the voices of IU students who lost their parents in the World Trade Center. And I read The New York Times' special remembrance edition that published a picture of every victim.\nLast year as the Nation & World editor for the Indiana Daily Student, I was in charge of the "Two Years Later" edition. I was too busy with planning, editing and producing the section that I couldn't take a moment to personally reflect.\nBut what will I do on Sept. 11 this year? As of right now, my only plans are to work 5 to 11 p.m. delivering ice cream. But somehow I feel this is a cheap way of remembering the worst day in our nation's history. \nIn the last few years, the meaning of the phrase "September 11th" has become blurred with the political aftermath. Politicians use it to advance their agendas and spark fear or resentment in the American people. \nWhen I Googled "9-11," the first Web site that popped up was about Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11." Now, close your eyes. Imagine it's Sept. 12, 2001. Would you have imagined this phrase - this day - would become such a source for political divide?\nThe shock has worn off and most Americans have returned to pre-9-11 tendencies. And at the risk of quoting a country singer: Have you forgotten?\nThe image of people jumping out of the burning World Trade Center still crosses my mind - and not just once in a while. The flag I displayed in my Louisville, Ky., home that day now drapes my dorm room window. I'm not a New Yorker, nor did I know anyone who died that day. But Sept. 11 is tattooed on my heart as much as it's tattooed in American history. \nI'm afraid this Saturday and future Sept. 11 anniversaries will be celebrated in the likes of Labor Day and Memorial Day. Sadly, Patriot Day will become just another hollow mark on the calendar. Most people will probably spend this Saturday like any other weekend. Both the Kerry and Bush campaigns will go on, claiming their initiatives are the best for a post-Sept. 11 world. Democrats will still claim President Bush didn't do enough to protect America, and Republicans will still claim Democrats are inherently unpatriotic. \nI don't want people to wake up Saturday morning and pretend this country is united. But could we all, for just one sacred day, forget about the bipartisan bickering instead of forgetting that more than 3,000 Americans were murdered? \nMy challenge for everyone on this campus, in this country and around the world is to pause from their weekend activities for 11 minutes. Don't think about the war on terror. Don't think about the Bush administration. Think about the mothers, fathers, husbands, wives and children who died terrible deaths. Then think about their families and how they will remember Sept. 11.\nRemembering 9-11 is not defined by politics, nor should it be associated with them in any way. Hopefully, after your 11 minutes is up, you will think the same way.