My dear brothers and sisters,
I wrote this and hesitate to post it in the tribute to 911 - it's hardly a tribute - but having written it, I would like to share it with you. I had not intended to write a 9/11 post this year, but reading Pres. Obama's speech, I was struck by the similarities. Read on and you'll see what I mean. Pres. Obama's words are in regular print; my revisions are in italics.
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I have said elsewhere that 31 October-4 November 1984 was my 9/11. I ask your forgiveness for my slight rewriting of the beginning of Pres. Obama's speech....
We start with President Obama's opening words.
Eight years ago, on an ordinary Tuesday morning, nearly 3,000 lives were lost in the deadliest attack on American soil in our history.
Twenty-five years ago, on an ordinary Wednesday morning, more than 3,000 lives were lost in the deadliest attack on the Sikh people in centuries.
It was an event that forever changed the life of this city. And it was a tragedy that will be forever seared in the consciousness of our nation.
It was an event that should forever change the life of Delhi. And it was a tragedy that should be forever seared in the consciousness of the Sikh nation.
Every year on this day, we are all New Yorkers.
Every year on these days, Indians should all imagine themselves Sikhs.
We pause to remember the victims, to grieve with the families and friends of those who died, and to honor the heroes of that day and each day since who have sacrificed to save lives and serve their country.
We pause to remember the victims, to grieve with the families and friends of those who died, and to honor the heroes of those days and each day since who have grieved their loved ones sacrificed at the alter of hatred and prejudice.
We will never forget the images of planes vanishing into buildings; of billowing smoke rolling down the streets of Manhattan; of photos hung by the families of the missing.
We will never forget the images of turbanned men running in circles with burning tyres around their necks as the mobs jeered; of billowing smoke rolling down the streets of Trilokpuri; of photos hung by the families of the missing.
We will never forget the rage and aching sadness we felt.
We will never forget the rage and aching sadness we felt.
And we will never forget the feeling that we had lost something else: a sense of safety as we went about our daily lives.
And we will never forget the feeling that we had lost something else: a sense of safety as we went about our daily lives.
The memory of those images and that vulnerability reminds us of the real and present danger posed by violent extremists who would use terrorism against Americans at home and around the world.
The memory of those images and that vulnerability reminds us of the real and present danger posed by violent extremists who would use terrorism against Sikhs at home and around the world.
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