I Pledge Allegiance...
By Gina Verone

As we are all aware, on September 11, 2001, New York City was targeted once more–an attack so ferocious, so unforgiving leaving Americans in a state of shock and despair. As the morning progressed at my school, parents came in, family members called, teachers and students were solemn and quiet as they awaited word of the status of the attack and their family members whereabouts. The school community united on that morning in a quiet, calm manner. It wasn’t necessarily their words of fear but rather their faces that will forever remain etched in my mind as a sorrowful reminder of the loss of innocence that was stripped from their very hands on this horrific day. As the days have passed, so many students across this great nation are questioning these acts of cowardice brought about by hatred and ignorance. Deep within their souls, they are searching for the return of some sense of normalcy in their lives. During a recent discussion with a group of AP Government students at my high school, I asked them to put into words how they felt about the current state of the nation. Amongst this group there was a quiet resolve and a loss of words. These seventeen and eighteen year old young men and women were unable to capture how this truly has affected and impacted their lives. It is the sudden loss of words amongst our youth that expresses so perfectly the deep loss the United States of America has faced. While we all go about our normal routines, we somehow know things are no longer the same. The date will forever be etched in our minds and while the names of people may escape us, the faces and sense of loss will not.

Our students remind us most clearly what is important in life and what is important to them during their teenage years–a sense of safety, security, and freedom. It has often been said that if we fail to learn about our history, we are doomed to repeat it. While history has taught us this, it is the words of John F. Kennedy that has delicately reminded us of how courage brought us all closer on this day. “The stories of past courage can define that ingredient–they can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this, each man must look into his own soul.” It was indeed the acts of courage by thousands of Americans that expressed so clearly what our country is made of. Our history will also define this tragic event as a day that will live in infamy as well. It will be a reminder that as one united front the United States will stand firmer and stronger in the wake of tragedy and triumph in the name of glory. How we handled the events of September 11, 2001 as a school and community, is not much different than how schools in other parts of the United States dealt with the morning on this tragic day, coming together and uniting in a way that has made America and Americans stronger and closer than ever before! #

Gina Verone is an assistant principal at Pequannock Township High School in northern New Jersey.

They recently held a “Walk to Freedom” to raise money for the American Red Cross World Trade Center Relief Fund. Their efforts resulted in a $20,000 donation.

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