Make 9/11 an unforgettable day

At first, our public grief was captured in a ceremony with tolling bells and names read aloud, in that vast empty space where the towers once stood. The pain was raw, the memories clear.

Then, the memorial, museum and new construction began to rise. The bells still tolled, the names were still read, and by then, they were also etched in stone.

Yet as each anniversary of the horrific attacks on the World Trade Center has passed, the commemoration of each Sept. 11 has changed. Television news doesn't spend hours covering it. People go about their days, walking past the site, barely stopping to take a moment to remember. The tourists seem to stop for selfies.

But remember we must.

It may seem like the easiest way to commemorate the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks is turning it into a federal holiday. In a less rushed world where tradition informs behavior, that would mean using the day to remember, volunteer, or talk with children — and grandchildren — about what happened, about those we lost. The graves would be "decorated" as on "Decoration Day," which Memorial Day was once called.

But that wouldn't be the end result of making Sept. 11 a federal holiday, as proposed in a bill introduced by Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler, and co-sponsored by Rep. Anthony D'Esposito and others, despite their admirable intentions. Sept. 11 will become like other federal holidays, a day for mattress sales, barbecues and extended weekends. 

But even if turning Sept. 11 into a federal holiday isn't the answer, the bill importantly jump-starts a conversation we must have. Because just letting the day go by, especially for New Yorkers, isn't the answer either. 

How do we make sure the day, those who died, and those still suffering, aren't forgotten?

That starts with education. New York is one of 14 states that require schools to teach about 9/11. Rep. Andrew Garbarino has suggested all 50 do the same. It's certainly a worthy goal. Across the state, each school should assess how it teaches about 9/11 and its aftermath, to make sure current and future students, none of whom were born when the attacks occurred, learn, understand, and remember. 

The work Congress still must do for those who are sick, or could get sick, due to their Ground Zero efforts also must not be forgotten. That starts with the bill sponsored by Garbarino and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand to close the World Trade Center Health Program funding gap and cover those who've been left out, including soldiers and other federal employees who responded at the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The faster Congress addresses the shortfall, the more it will serve everyone impacted by 9/11.

Sept. 11 should never become just another day on the calendar. Instead, we need to find ways to commemorate, remember, honor and make sure the generations to come do the same.