As Nebraska educators, we are reminded each September 11 of the responsibility we have to educate not only students, but citizens. Our public schools are places where we teach mathematics, science, history, and reading, but we also have an obligation to teach the values that hold communities and a nation together: service, honor, courage, responsibility, and commitment to something greater than ourselves.
September 11, 2001, changed our country forever. Many of our students today were not yet born when the attacks occurred. They know September 11 as a date in history, but for those of us who lived through that day, it is much more than history. We remember where we were. We remember the uncertainty and fear. We remember watching the events unfold and realizing that our country had been attacked.
But most importantly, we remember the response.
We remember the firefighters, police officers, emergency responders, military personnel, and ordinary citizens who ran toward danger when others were running away. We remember the thousands of acts of courage and selflessness that emerged from one of the darkest days in our nation's history. Some gave their lives in service to others. Others carried the physical and emotional burdens of that day for years afterward.
Their example reminds us that bravery is not the absence of fear. Bravery is choosing to do what is right and necessary despite fear.
That lesson resonates deeply throughout Nebraska. In our communities, service is not an abstract idea. It is part of who we are. It is the neighbor who stops to help during a storm, the volunteer who gives countless hours to a community organization, the first responder who answers the call at any hour, and the farmer who helps a neighbor get through a difficult harvest. It is the teacher who invests in a student long after the school day ends. It is the parent, grandparent, coach, or community member who quietly gives of themselves because they believe in something bigger than themselves.
It is also the young person who chooses to serve our country.
Our military veterans and active-duty service members represent one of the greatest examples of commitment to country. They remind us that freedom carries a responsibility. Our nation asks individuals to make sacrifices so that others may enjoy the freedoms and opportunities that define America. That commitment deserves our gratitude, our respect, and our honor.
As educators, we have a role in making sure that the lessons of September 11 are not forgotten. We must teach our students what happened, but we must also teach them what it means. We should teach them that citizenship is more than exercising our rights. It is also about accepting responsibility, serving others, respecting those with whom we disagree, and contributing to the communities and country we call home.
We should teach them to honor those who sacrificed.
We should teach them to recognize courage.
We should teach them to appreciate those who serve.
And we should teach them that the strength of our country ultimately rests not in buildings, institutions, or even government, but in the character and commitment of its people.
Twenty-five years after September 11, we must never allow the passage of time to diminish our gratitude for those who served, sacrificed, and stood together in the aftermath of that terrible day.
In towns and cities throughout Nebraska, we understand the power of community. We understand that when one person needs help, others step forward. We understand that service matters. We understand that character matters. And we understand that the strength of a community—and a country—is measured by how willing its people are to stand together and serve one another.
On September 11, we remember those we lost.
We honor those who ran toward danger.
We recognize those who continue to serve.
And we give thanks to the generations of Americans who have demonstrated courage, sacrifice, and an unwavering commitment to our country.
May we never forget.
May we always honor their sacrifice.
And may we teach the next generation that the freedoms we enjoy come with a responsibility to serve something greater than ourselves.