A time for heroes
Published on Sat, Sep 12, 2009 by Beckye RandallRead More Voices
Every year about this time, the world seems to grow a little darker, even slightly scary. It has nothing to do with shorter days or increasing clouds. Rather, the vague feeling of unease is traced back to the morning of September 11, 2001, when all of us learned that random acts of fanaticism can have devastating consequences.
Even after eight years, the scars are still there. Ground Zero in New York is still a hole in the ground. Families continue to mourn their losses. And the country's economy, military and even our self-esteem have suffered mightily because of the Sept. 11 attacks.
As a nation, we tend to look for the good in others. That innate goodness was demonstrated in no uncertain terms on that same fateful day, as hundreds of firefighters, police officers and medical personnel rushed into the cacophony of destruction at the World Trade Center in an effort to help others. Many of those emergency responders ended up as victims themselves.
These brave men and women are trained to respond selflessly in times of danger. Adrenaline pushes them into action, and they learn to quieten the "fight or flight" reflex-or at least the "flight" part. Every day, young people make a conscious choice to enter these careers, even though the jobs are filled with danger. They do so because they want to help others.
Many professions are dedicated to service to others. Teachers, the clergy, social workers and therapists all go to work everyday with the goal of making someone else's life better.
But it's different for firefighters, EMTs, police officers and even emergency medical personnel. By helping a citizen, they sometimes put their own lives in danger. They accept the risks of running into burning buildings, standing in front of a loaded gun or dealing with a dangerous person who's high on PCP. It's part of their job.
In this issue and the next of North County Outlook, we offer a big thanks to those who have chosen to serve as a firefighter or EMT, and those whose work supports their efforts. Without these highly-trained, selfless individuals, our communities would be much darker places.
We can all pray that another September 11 never happens. But we can never forget that it did.
Even after eight years, the scars are still there. Ground Zero in New York is still a hole in the ground. Families continue to mourn their losses. And the country's economy, military and even our self-esteem have suffered mightily because of the Sept. 11 attacks.
As a nation, we tend to look for the good in others. That innate goodness was demonstrated in no uncertain terms on that same fateful day, as hundreds of firefighters, police officers and medical personnel rushed into the cacophony of destruction at the World Trade Center in an effort to help others. Many of those emergency responders ended up as victims themselves.
These brave men and women are trained to respond selflessly in times of danger. Adrenaline pushes them into action, and they learn to quieten the "fight or flight" reflex-or at least the "flight" part. Every day, young people make a conscious choice to enter these careers, even though the jobs are filled with danger. They do so because they want to help others.
Many professions are dedicated to service to others. Teachers, the clergy, social workers and therapists all go to work everyday with the goal of making someone else's life better.
But it's different for firefighters, EMTs, police officers and even emergency medical personnel. By helping a citizen, they sometimes put their own lives in danger. They accept the risks of running into burning buildings, standing in front of a loaded gun or dealing with a dangerous person who's high on PCP. It's part of their job.
In this issue and the next of North County Outlook, we offer a big thanks to those who have chosen to serve as a firefighter or EMT, and those whose work supports their efforts. Without these highly-trained, selfless individuals, our communities would be much darker places.
We can all pray that another September 11 never happens. But we can never forget that it did.
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