The Lesson of Flight 93: Hope and Responsibility
Like most of us, the events of September 11, 2001 affected me profoundly. I can still recall -- to the point of almost reliving it -- the shock, grief and disbelief that followed the most heinous attack on U.S. soil that cost about 3,000 lives in a day. Though we are still actively engaged in the global struggle against those who still wish us harm, it is wholly fit and proper to mark the anniversary by reflecting on the bravery and nobility of all of those who strive to protect us from harm. Perhaps no act of sacrifice and fortitude deserves more attention and appreciation than that of our true first responders: The passengers and crew of Flight 93.
Whether by chance or fate, these passengers found themselves in an untenable position. Their plane had been hijacked, and the hijackers led the passengers to believe that they would be held for ransom -- which had been a fairly common practice of pirates and terrorists for centuries. There was sufficient precedent to believe that would be their fate.
However, when they discovered that other terrorists had flown into the World Trade Center in New York City, while everyone else was scrambling around trying to figure out what was happening, the passengers of Flight 93 detected the intent of their abductors and made a crucial, defiant decision.
Here we stand or here we fall. We know not what others will do, but as for us, we will not let that happen.
Self-preservation can be a powerful ally or a deceptive mistress. It would have been very tempting to assume, in spite of their knowledge of what was happening elsewhere, that somehow their situation was different -- that those other flights were the warnings, and their aircraft was meant to be the bargaining chip.
I'm constantly humbled and will forever be grateful for their example.
Though I pray I never find myself in a similar situation, I remind myself that life is made of a bunch of choices -- both big and small. We may fight or wait. Struggle or malinger. Speak up or sit down.
Our responsibility as a human beings, as citizens, is to take whatever circumstances that come to us -- big and small -- and to apply the example of our heroes from Flight 93 as best we can.
As demonstrated by those who murdered thousands on that day, there is surely evil in this world. But the very fact that those passengers -- of different backgrounds and motivations -- could set aside whatever their differences were, recognize their responsibility to unite as one to fight injustice where it stood -- and do it -- gives us hope for humanity.
The police, firefighters and military members who responded on that day and since to nobly take up arms in defense of justice did so willingly and ably, and they deserve our respect and gratitude.
But we must also recognize the limitations of any system that strives to protect liberty. These people take precautions and set up barriers against those who would do us harm (or against us, if our actions may be harmful to others), but too many times they cannot act until after the fact. They cannot always be there at the point of need, at the time of need.
Therefore it is upon us, in times both dire and seemingly trivial (such as in the course of our everyday jobs as marketers, designers, etc.), to follow in the footsteps of the passengers and crew of Flight 93. To stare injustice in the face, no matter what is happening around us and say, "Here we stand."
Then, unified by our common understanding of justice, speak in one voice:
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