9/11 20th Year of Remembrance, Reflection, and Response

Dear MUSD Family and Community, 

Twenty years ago today I stood with my baby in my arms watching the reports of the plane crashing into the World Trade Center. In the moment my thoughts were about those who died and the surrounding areas because my cousin worked nearby. As we came to understand that it was not an accident, but a strategic attack on national institutions of finance, security and government my thoughts turned to why and what if?

What if one of the victims had been someone connected to me? What would I do? How would I make sense of the loss? Reading about those who lived near Milpitas and the meaning their loved ones have found in their deaths elicits an element of solace. Still I wonder.

I reflect on how 9/11 disrupted and reshaped our lives around travel, international relations, and our entry into massive events such as concerts and sports. For our children it's just how it is, but for us it reminds us of our vulnerability.

2,996 died and how many others since? There were emergency workers who responded in search of survivors who years later lost their lives or continue to live with illness as a result of exposure to toxins released at the site. There are victims of the war that ensued afterward in the Middle East. 

There are those who suffer due to the fear that the attacks instigated against people of Middle Eastern descent or whose faith is Islamic. Why 9/11 happened has political and economic answers. The aspect that divides people is prejudice. 

We who live and work in our City on the Hill, strive to be a community that embraces All. Milpitas Unified is strengthened by this community, and is dedicated to serving every student in a culture of diversity and inclusion. 

While we recall the events of 9/11 today, let's continue to expand our understanding of one another. In our actions and words we have the power to affirm compassion in humanity for our children.

Committed to WE,

Cheryl

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