JOHN ONDRASIK: What 9/11 taught us about courage, unity and the price of freedom
A Song, a Loss, and a Call to Remember
A 2009 music release and a personal tragedy have spurred a recent call to keep the memory of the September 11 attacks alive. The author of a new opinion piece, who released a single titled “Tuesday” in October 2009, used the song as a reminder that the attacks, which killed 2,977 Americans, should never be forgotten.
“Tuesday” and the Concert for New York City
The song “Tuesday” was produced as a musical plea to remember the lessons of the 2001 attacks. In the same year, the writer performed the track “Superman” at Paul McCartney’s Concert for New York City, a benefit held at Madison Square Garden. The event drew a crowd that included firefighters, police officers and other first responders who had spent the previous month clearing the rubble at Ground Zero. The writer recalled the sight of “thousands of people singing, screaming, crying and embracing one another” and described how the music offered a brief release from the pain they carried.
“Performing my song “Superman” at Paul McCartney’s concert was one of the great honors of my life,” the author wrote. “Sharing that stage with heroic New York City first responders and the families of those murdered was an incredibly humbling, life‑changing experience.”
A Personal Loss
The writer also shared that he lost his wife on September 11, adding a deeply personal dimension to his advocacy. In a plea to the nation, he urged that the 25th anniversary of the attacks belong to the families who endured the loss. “The world sang and cried with us,” he wrote, echoing the collective mourning that followed the day.
The United American Spirit
The piece emphasizes how the nation rallied together after the attacks. “There was no red America and blue America. There was only red, white and blue,” the writer noted, pointing to the unprecedented unity that transcended political divisions. He argued that the response to the 2001 attacks should serve as a benchmark for how the country might respond to future acts of terror.
Modern Threats and the Need for Vigilance
While the writer acknowledges that the specific threats of 2001 have evolved, he warns of new dangers: radical Islamism, antisemitism, anti‑American extremism and the spread of extremist ideology through universities, social media and political movements. He cites the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel as a recent example of how extremist narratives can spread rapidly and be rationalized or even celebrated in the West. “If an attack on the scale of 9/11 occurred in America today, would we still respond as one people, one country?” he asks.
“Never Forget” as an Ongoing Duty
The author stresses that “Never Forget” must move beyond slogans. “It is an obligation. It is our obligation,” he writes. He calls for educators to teach children the full story of 9/11, including the motivations of the terrorists, the terror’s cost, and the bravery of those who responded. He highlights the firefighters who climbed stairwells, the police officers, paramedics and ordinary citizens who rushed toward falling towers, and the passengers on Flight 93 who understood the situation and fought back.
A Vision for the Future
In closing, the writer urges that the memory of those lost and the courage of the survivors inspire continued vigilance. “May the memory of those we lost—and the example of the heroes of September 11, 2001—give us the strength, courage and fortitude to fight for America every day, especially Tuesdays, for the next 250 years.”
The opinion piece, published by Fox News, serves as a personal testament and a public appeal to ensure that the lessons of the past remain vivid for future generations.