Has it really been ten years?  I’ll bet you can recall where you were when you heard the news about the attack.  Many do.  Some feel it deeper than others, however.  There are those who have lost loved ones by not only the direct attack on 9/11, but with soldiers in the following war over the past decade.

It’s a time we all remember, in our own ways.  People of all ethnicities, nationalities, religions and social status’ died that day.  And what makes me really angry; gets me really fired up, is that there are those who will have you remember it THEIR way.  There are those who are trying to make this special day a day about THEIR personal beliefs.  I’m talking about the Christians who are taking up arms over Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s stance on having a secular ceremony to remember this most special day.  Here is what Honorable Bloomberg had to say about it:

You’ve got to be careful in criticizing people. No. 1, they [American Atheists] have a right to sue, and we’ll see what the judge says. This group of atheists, they’re free in our country to not believe and not practice, and we should defend their right to do that, just as we should defend individuals’ rights to practice and to believe.

He does not say, if you read it carefully, that he necessarily believes that it’s right.  Chances are, he’s probably a Christian.  And guess what, I’m perfectly fine with that.  But what he is doing, unlike his other spineless politicians, is stand up for what made America the great country that it is.  He’s taking a stand for equality.  Yes, while the majority of the population is Christian, that should not be the only factor in determining equal rights.  The “white” race was the majority as well; but that didn’t stop Martin Luthor King from taking a stand and saying, “Yes, we’re the minority, but we can drink from the same water fountain as the rest.  We can ride, not at the back, but at the front of the bus.  We are, just like you.”

So, I applaud this bold step by Mr. Bloomberg.  It takes courage to stand up to the religious right.  Most just go with whatever they think will win the next election.  So we must all give thanks to the one man with the backbone to not go with what will win him the next election, but with what’s in his heart.  That’s the America I am proud to be a part of.  That’s the America those who are in third world countries want to escape to.

This ceremony, if kept secular, will be the one day everyone will remember where all ethnicities, nationalities, religions and social status’ suffered together; and that is where all ethnicities, nationalities, religions and social status’ will band together to remember our loved ones.  Love, something we all have in common.

Here is the contact information:

The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of New York City
City Hall
New York, NY 10007

Web contact form
Phone: 311 (212-639-9675 outside NYC)
FAX: 212-312-0700