Remembering 9/11 - Part 1

We were at the supper table a week ago, and I brought up an issue...

[I'm now teaching a graduate course in Human Resources management for Troy State University.]

"I will be teaching on the morning of 9/11/2004, and want to do something to commemorate the event during class. I have a presentation I want to share with them."

"You can't do that," my Princeton-educated 16-year-old daughter said.

"Why not?"

"You'll get in trouble - it is like doing something religious in class."

"It does not have to be religious. I would just show this non-religious presentation and say, 'Let's observe a moment of silence to remember the victims of 9/11.'"

"That's religious."

Ensued a long conversation about academic freedom in graduate school, the fact that my employer is a state unversity of Alabama, and that, as a state agency, religious discussions in class constitute violations of the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

I listen to my children. My mom told me so before she died, and so it must be true. SO I wanted to work out something acceptable to my daughter...

"How about if you ask whether any of your students lost anyone on 9/11, and empower them to determine what the class should do?" she said.

"OK, that's what I'll do."

Saturday morning came along. Class started at 8 am, at the educational facility at Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach.

A third of my 20-odd students are active-duty military, another third retired military working in civilian careers, and the remainder civilians who'd never served.

It got to be 9:20 am or so. As the clock got closer and closer to the half-hour, I felt sadder and sadder, remembering the sudden and catastrophic loss we suffered...

"I know we're about due for a break. However, it was about at this hour three years ago that our nation was attacked and suffered significant losses, and I want to mark this occasion. DId anyone here suffer any personal loss three years ago?"

A student, who'd been very reserved and quiet, raised her hand. "I lost people in the Pentagon."

"Then I want you to tell us the best way to honor the memory of the people you lost."

She looked very uncomfortable and confused. I finally said, "For example, we could all have a moment of silence..."

She said that sounded great.

So we all stopped. I stood at the podium and remembered what this felt like. I had my head down and watched tears fall from my face onto the classroom floor.