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?
A 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?