It was a beautifully clear and sunny September morning, classes had just begun and everything seemed right with the world. People sunbathed on the grassy knolls of Tufts University and wondered when all that reading was going to get done on this picturesque day. This scene could have been taken from this day in 2005 or very likely on the very same day, four years ago in 2001. The only difference is four years ago, the World Trade Center towers still stood, and people's loved ones were still commuting to work at the Pentagon and downtown Manhattan. Four years ago, America was still innocent and carefree, and we had reason to be.
Classes, friends and sports are all normal things that we should concern ourselves with, but they should by no means be the only ones. It has only been four short years since we all lived through the harrowing experience of Sept. 11, 2001. We should never forget how we felt that day. We should never forget the victims, their orphaned children, or their widowed spouses. We should never forget the selfless honor with which firemen and women displayed in climbing the stairs of the towers to rescue others before they fell. We should never forget; and yet it seems that it only takes a few short years and our own small lives to distract us.
Amidst the comings and goings of this vibrant campus, I must admit that the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001 snuck up on me rather quietly. I did not miss, however, the fact that the campus was virtually devoid of any remembrances or memorial services to those who lost their lives or their loved ones in the attacks. While I am sure that memorials and discussion forums happened in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, we cannot turn numb to the fact that time has not alleviated the danger we still find ourselves in, and it never will if we choose to ignore the past.
Attending a church service the evening of Sept. 11, 2005, in which I hoped would focus on finding spiritual solace after such brutal trauma, I was amazed at how brief and off-handed the references were to those who were murdered. The clergyman continued to speak in general terms about the importance of forgiveness. Forgiveness, in its most pure and meaningful manifestation, for those who have wronged beyond repayment. This would have been the perfect opportunity to grapple with the sensitive issue of how to understand and deal with the people who feel such an animosity towards our country and our ideals. Rather than using military might to exert our dominance over an already depressed area, why not discuss the reasons and conditions under which such hatred and fanaticism is bred?
I am shocked and appalled that a university and a student body that prides itself so much on open discussion, activism, and internationality could so easily overlook such a necessary forum. Certainly students of our caliber, who find energy to play on varsity sports teams, sing in a myriad of choruses and take organic chemistry all at the same time, can find the time and creativity within us to gather as a student body in a display of unity to remember those who we lost on that September day. To open our minds and our mouths to discuss why terrorism is still rampant in this world, and what we, (especially the so-called International Relations majors) propose to do to cultivate peace from the ground up.
While our student body certainly did not mobilize its energies to the fullest extent this year, hopefully by this time next year we will not be jaded simply because a buffer of time has passed. Perhaps next year we will take pause to reflect and remember. Or perhaps we will, as Tufts students should, not need to wait until next year to open our hearts, our minds and our mouths.
Olivia is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.
