Sept 11th 2001 - Remembering Those We Lost Ten Years Ago

As we remember the heroes of September 11th, we also remember the victims and their families. Ten years after so many needless deaths, the world continues to search for inspirational, heroic figures that altruistically sacrifice their own interests for our sake

By Justin Mikkelsen /

On September 11th, 2001, a horrifying shockwave of pain and suffering resonated throughout the globe. Perhaps the single-largest event in U.S. history that illustrated a stark contrast between good and evil, the extremist attacks of September 11th showed the world that evil, in the forms of intolerance and hatred, exists. Fictional comics and film repeatedly bring audiences stories that that offer a simple conflict between a hero that represents goodness, and a villain that personifies evil. Aunt May Parker of the Spider-Man films says that: €œEverybody loves a hero,€ and it€™s true. Human beings look up to heroes, drawing inspiration from their selfless acts of courage. Aunt May, of course, was talking about Spider-Man, New York€™s web-slinging, wall crawling hero that sacrifices his personal relationships and dreams for the sake of others. On September 11th, the whole world saw real-life heroes in action, and their sacrifice fulfills everything our dreams hope for from their fictional counterparts. Just about every comic-book hero has a parental figure that guides and encourages them, keeping the heroes grounded and connected to those they protect. Superman has his adopted parents Jonathan and Martha Kent, Batman has Alfred, The X-Men have Professor Xavier, and Spider-Man has Aunt May. These parental figures are perhaps the key separator between heroes and villains, as these guiding figures provide wisdom that forms the hero€™s conscience, imbuing on them a philosophy that drives heroes to use their gifts for the good of humankind. Aunt May defined heroism for Peter Parker in Spider-Man 2, saying:
€œ I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams.€
The attacks on September 11th unveiled real-life heroes that intrinsically fit Aunt May€™s heroic definition and purpose. Firefighters and police officers, for example, ran into the burning towers in hopes of finding and rescuing survivors. Firefighters around the world do the same thing every day. When people are in danger, a small number of heroes choose to lay their lives down in the defense of life and freedom. September 11th showed that heroes exist somewhere in every human being, just as Aunt May suggested. The free world lives in comfort knowing that such heroes are nearby, protecting freedom from those who would compromise it. While September 11th showcased regular, every-day heroes, it also revealed villains, agents of evil in pursuit of destroying freedom. In comic books and film, such people are known as villains. Few forget the likes of Magneto, The Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, Lex Luthor, and various other characters with dreams of world dominance and heroic destruction. The villains of September 11th were not terrorists. The end-game for terrorists is the promotion of fear and terror, but the masterminds behind the attacks believed that the lifestyles of those living in the United States are intrinsically evil, and it is better for them to die than live. The effects of violent extremism do indeed result in wide-spread terror, but the intent is far from the spread of terror. In reality, the villains of September 11th had much in common with comic book villains, as their goals were destruction, death, and the violent promotion of their viewpoints. I often wonder what would have happened if we had a super-powered hero as seen in the comic-books on September 11th. Would the outcome of the events have changed if Superman showed up to prevent the jets from crashing into the Twin Towers, Pentagon, and a field near Washington DC? I remember seeing comic art with a line-up of classic superheroes standing with their heads hung low while standing in front of the rubble at the World Trade Center. Even through their valiant efforts to protect humanity, the mightiest heroes in imagination could not prevent the horrors of September 11th. As we remember the heroes of September 11th, we also remember the victims and their families. Ten years after so many needless deaths, the world continues to search for inspirational, heroic figures that altruistically sacrifice their own interests for our sake. Though we honor every-day heroes, someone must rise above political mediocrity and bickering to finally inspire human beings to lead noble, good lives. The fight against violent extremism must be met not only by courageous warriors placing themselves in harms way, but by each and every free-thinking human being that desires a life without oppression. The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, The Pentagon, and passengers aboard United Flight 93 represented courageous freedom, and by remembering the lives sacrificed on September 11, 2001, humanity continues to combat oppression and needless violence. Even though the scars of that fateful day changed our lives in countless ways, the hero inside all of us will continue to make us stronger, living on to fight another day.