Courtesy of the Washington Post
President Obama commemorated the nearly 3,000 people who perished eight years ago today by laying wreaths and holding a moment of silence on the White House lawn beneath a cold rain.
He also reissued his call for citizens across the country to mark the day by volunteering. In April, Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, officially recognizing Sept. 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance for the first time ever today. The Obamas are said to be joining a community service event in the Washington area later today, although no official details have been released yet.
Closer to home, the University of Maryland chapter of the Public Interest Research Group (MaryPIRG) will be hosting several volunteer opportunities: a food and necessities drive starts at noon outside of the South Campus Dining Hall today and tomorrow, the group will shuttle students to Bethesda Cares, a community outreach program to the homeless, at 8:30 a.m.
And while today is a day that sticks out in the collective memory, it’s merely a history lesson to the next generation. Instructors are rolling out the first 9/11 curriculum today. An article by the Washington Post’s Eli Saslow reports on a test-run of the new teaching materials created by the brother of a 9/11 victim :
Eight years later, this is an example of what Sept. 11, 2001, has become for a generation that’s too young to remember much, if anything, about that day: It is an educational DVD, a 167-page textbook, a black binder of class handouts titled “A National Interdisciplinary Curriculum.” In Room C215 at Lincoln High School, images of the collapsing Manhattan skyline are now a classroom “warm-up exercise.” “Militant,” “imploding” and “rubble” are boldfaced vocabulary words for students to memorize. Homework assignments and essay questions ensure that Sept. 11 will indeed be remembered by millions of schoolchildren, if with a new sense of detachment.
(And speaking of history lessons: if you think Republican congressman Joe Wilson’s outburst during Obama’s healthcare speech was bad, check out this list of conservative quotes that have sparked controversy.)