Still underappreciated

The morning of Sept. 11, 2001, police officers and firefighters in New York had no idea what was about to occur.

Some firefighters were probably playing cards, washing their trucks or making sure their gear was in working condition while they awaited their next call.

Police officers were sitting at their desks or driving around in patrol cars, checking on the safety of the people they had sworn to protect.

The moment airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center towers, those service members were there. They rushed up stairs to save people before the buildings collapsed and dug people out of the rubble when the buildings fell to their graves.

Some of those brave men and women made it away safely. Some lost their lives as they attempted to help the innocent in those buildings.

However, now these people have not been invited to the opening of the Ground Zero memorial in New York.

Service members are often underappreciated. Yes, they were just doing their jobs that day. However, they chose to do those jobs, and without them our world would be a much, much worse place.

Think of 9/11 and you think of chaos, terrorism and the brave firefighters and police officers working to restore peace amidst the turmoil.

Think of the Ground Zero memorial and you think of the need to remember that fateful day. Yet, without inviting our brave heroes, we are remembering the bad about the day and not the good - not the peace that these people worked to restore.

I think it's ridiculous that firefighters and police officers were not invited to the memorial ceremony in New York City. For a few years, we appreciated those people. Yet again, they have fallen by the wayside.

The people who take care of us are often in the background, whether it's police officers, firefighters, parents or anyone that works behind the scenes. We shouldn't remember people just when we need them, but appreciate their work all the time.

Even though the country hasn't recognized these people, somehow we should make them feel welcome. Thank you for your service. Thank you for what you do, even if you weren't there that fateful day.

You are not underappreciated.