The Numbers Don’t Lie
Ronnie Garrett
Editorial Director
Law Enforcement Technology magazine
The initial numbers are indelible: 8:46 a.m. and 9:02 a.m. The time the burning towers stood: 56 minutes and 102 minutes. The time they took to fall: 12 seconds. From there, they ripple out, reports New York Magazine about the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Take a look at the numbers:
- 2,998 were killed in attacks.
- 6,291+ people were injured.
- 343 firefighters and paramedics lost their lives.
- 23 NYPD officers died.
- 37 Port Authority police officers were killed.
- 1,402 employees died in Tower One.
- 614 employees died in Tower Two.
- 1,609 people lost a spouse or partner.
- 3,051 children are believed to have lost a parent.
September 11 impacted and changed people’s lives across the globe. And, many officers I know consider this day a time to reflect and honor the brothers they lost. Many of them even take this day off to honor the public safety workers who lost their lives in this tragedy, even if they didn’t personally know any of them.
So, it was with a great deal of surprise when I read an article opposing that police officers in Peabody, Massachusetts, be given 9/11 as a paid holiday. A victim’s brother reportedly stated he was shocked law enforcement officers would take advantage of the tragedy for their own gain.
While I can understand this family member’s feelings, I believe declaring September 11 as a holiday isn’t about money at all, but about respect.
September 11, 2001, is a significant day in American history. It should be memorialized as the greatest single day of sacrifice and loss in public safety history. In my mind, every department should take steps to make sure the heroes who fell in this tragedy are remembered with honor.
The above numbers don’t lie. But it’s up to us to make them mean something today, tomorrow and in the years to come.
Actually, I don’t understand why September 11th isn’t a federal holiday anyway. Then again, neither is December 7th (Pearl Harbor Day). I’ve listed 9/11 as “Patriots’ Day” in my Outlook and take a couple minutes of rememberance each year. I try to do something to help / make people remember what our country endured that day.
Excellent points you make, Ronnie.
I didn’t understand the negative reaction found in the comments here on this site. Too many individuals allow themselves to react emotionally and without thought when it comes to anything associated with 9/11. Unfortunately, due to the horror of the day and Americans national trend of trying to forget about anything negative, 9/11 has become a subject that inspires and instinctive negative reaction regardless of the overall topic.
Personally I feel that 9/11 should be a federal holiday, but until that day anyone working under a negotiated contract has the right to negotiate for any day they feel strongly enough about to be recognized as a holiday in the contract.
I feel one of the stars on the American flag should be colored gold (or an other color)in honor of those who lost their lives on 9-11. The flag companies would/should donate most of the profits from selling all the new flags to Law Enforcement and Fire Departments thru out the country. Whenever anyone in the world looked at the new flag, they would know the meaning of that unique star.