In Remembrance

Good morning, League of Women Voters SouthCoast,

This morning, like so many of you, I pause to remember exactly where I was 24 years ago.

I was sitting in a science classroom at Bristol Community College when my professor received a phone call from a friend in New York City. He told us something terrible was happening — then turned on the television monitor. We sat there in stunned silence, watching smoke pour from the Twin Towers. I’ll never forget the feeling — the shock, the fear, and the complete helplessness as we watched the unimaginable unfold before our eyes.

That moment changed everything. The attacks of September 11th shook our country to its core, and the pain and loss from that day will always be with us. But as I reflect today, I also think about what followed — the fear, and sadly, the wave of hatred and bigotry that was unleashed in its wake.

In the days and years after 9/11, many of our fellow Americans — especially Muslim Americans and those perceived to be Muslim — became targets of violence, harassment, and discrimination. Sikh Americans were assaulted for wearing turbans. Arab and South Asian communities were profiled, surveilled, and treated with suspicion — not because of anything they had done, but simply because of how they looked or what they believed.

That climate of fear didn’t disappear over time. If anything, it permitted a broader pattern of scapegoating and exclusion that continues to affect marginalized communities today.

So today, as we remember the lives lost and the deep scars left behind, I hope we also reflect on the lessons we’ve learned — and the ones we still need to.

Let’s honor this day not just with remembrance, but with empathy. Let’s stand firmly against hate in all its forms. And let’s commit ourselves to building a future rooted in compassion, justice, and unity — especially in the face of fear.

Peace

Eileen J. Marum

Co-chair LWV SouthCoast