Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The Unimaginable Job


After seeing so many facebook posts and pictures remembering 9/11, eleven years later, I still find myself unable to comprehend the horrors of that day.  The horrific loss of life, the fear, the panic, the chaos, the unbelievable.

The unwavering bravery of our first responders, our military personnel, and the ordinary citizens who helped someone in need that day.  

That crisp fall morning, people went to work, not knowing what would happen that day.  The NY firefighters, paramedics, and police officers reporting to duty that morning.  All those people going to work at their jobs in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.  People flying to jobs across the country.  Just going to work, just doing your job, another day, another dollar.  And, then the unimaginable.  Terrorist attacks on our country.  

Here is my blogpost I wrote last year about my son's boy scout leader and his co-worker and what they faced that day.  And, what I did not write about in that post was a very dear friend of mine who worked behind the scenes helping to answer all the legal questions that arose from decisions that had to be made immediately; a job that took amazing composure, intelligence and the ability to offer answers without hesitation or wavering.      

So today, September 11, 2012, I am reposting my blog, The Unimaginable Job:

Today, I want to dedicate my blog to the men and women of our military and to the passengers on United Flight 93. on September 11, 2001– the people with the most “unimaginable” job. 
This morning, with my cup of coffee on hand, I checked my email and saw an email from a boy scout in my son’s troop.  The email was titled “A Scout(master) is Brave” -- echoing the words in the boy scout pledge.  The scout posted an article that appears in the Style section of today’s Washington Post (click below to see the article).
here

Police, firefighters, military members, and many other American workers wake up every day knowing that on that day they might put their lives at risk due to the requirements of their jobs.  When they woke up on the morning of September 11, 2001, Major Heather “Lucky” Penney and Colonel Marc Sasseville (Michael’s scout leader) probably had not have imagined their days mission – to fly their fighter jets and take down a domestic passenger plane full of innocent people, by using their fighter planes as a weapon. 
The chilling words I read in the Washington Post this morning – “’We don’t train to bring down airliners,’ said Sasseville.”
Certainly, the passengers on flight 93 did not train to bring down an airliner.
Yet, those were their jobs that awful day.  The jobs of our military members and the job of those brave people on flight 93.  Jobs done to save others. 
Thank you Major Heather “Lucky” Penney, Colonel Marc Sasseville, and all the workers whose jobs it is to protect our country each day.

To the passengers on flight 93, as we say in the Jewish religion, may your memory be a blessing.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Celebrate labor today


My thirteen year old son heard a food store commercial about buying food for your Labor Day celebration, and said, “Why would anyone want to celebrate Labor Day?”  I asked him what he meant and he said, “why would I want to celebrate having to go back to school?”
I’m sad that my son, who was always excited about the start of elementary school, doesn’t want to start school.  I think it is mostly because of the early start time and then the day to day annoyance of homework. 
I’m also sad that my son has no understanding of the importance and significance of Labor Day.  To him and I guess, to many people in this country, it is just the last day off before school starts, the end mark of summer, the last day to wear those white clothes.
My first year at Cornell – School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR), a school focused on American workers, Cornell scheduled classes on Labor Day.  That schedule did not go over well with the ILR students and talk of a protest and skip day launched.  In the interest of not having first years miss their first day of classes, my recollection is that either teachers cancelled their classes or classes started the next day.  Now, Cornell’s academic calendar recognizes Labor Day as a holiday.
The United States Department of Labor explains the reason for the Labor Day holiday:
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
To learn more about Labor Day, check out DOL website at http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm.
In addition to making sure that Michael has a fun last weekend of summer, finishes his math packet, I hope I can get him to see that Labor Day is more than just the last day before school starts.
My son has given me continued inspiration to write this blog, to work on my proposal to teach a modern American labor class, and the hope that Labor Day 2013, won’t just be all about the sales, bbqs, and putting away those white shoes and pants (and for Harry, his Hawaiian shirts).

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Labor Day Weekend

I hope you are enjoying the weekend.  Stayed tuned for my Labor Day post tomorrow!