Just Showing Up

September 11 of this year will mark the 10th year anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed 2,752 people at the World Trade Center.  In memory of this tragic event, a ceremony will be held at Ground Zero on the day of the anniversary. Ironically, according to The Daily News, the firefighters who first responded to the scene are not being invited.  A city official told the newspaper that the amount of space available at the main ceremony forced the city to schedule a separate ceremony for these heroes on a later date.

"To have a separate service on another day has no significance, no meaning," David Jacobs, one of the firefighters at the scene, said. "For many of us, we gave a lot at that site."

Along with Jacobs, I believe it is a huge insult to reschedule their ceremony for a later date.  These firefighters, after all, were the true heroes of 9/11.  Thousands of them showed up within minutes and immediately put their own lives at risk to save others, and 343 of these brave men died during their rescue missions in the wake of the attack.

I understand that New York City has an obligation to include in the ceremony the families of all the victims of the attack, but I still see no reason that they should completely leave out all of the firefighters who fought during the attack with one mission, to save as many American lives as possible.  In past ceremonies, first responders have been honored, so it is shocking that they are suddenly no longer invited to this historic anniversary.  Well then again, maybe they can just show up, like they showed up ten years ago when the country needed them the most.