The tale of the 300 plus missing firefighters and police officers is one of the most heart-wrenching stories to come out of the World Trade Center bombing. These men and women in uniform arrived at the Twin Towers to help save lives. Firefighters and police officers, entering burning skyscrapers just as hundreds of others were trying to leave.
Firefighters and police officers, all risking their lives for meager pay, all serving their community, all helping hundreds of civilians evacuate safely. 300 of "New York's Finest," all missing, crushed beneath the rubble of the World Trade Center.
"I didn't want to get involved." How often have we heard this from a friend who witnessed a car accident and chose not to stop? "I might have to go to court. I might have to miss work."
Apathy doesn't stop at intersections and highways. Every day UNM students, including myself, shy away from opportunities to reach out and impact our community. "Talking to the homeless man could make me late for class." "If I sign the petition, I might get junk mail." "The prayer meeting? I'd miss the Sopranos!" "What if some inner-city kid in the tutoring program wanted me to be their best friend? No way."
We all recognize that giving back to our community requires personal sacrifice. Civic volunteers give their time, money and emotions. Volunteers also answer crisis hotlines, feed the hungry and keep our streets litter free.
Formal volunteers are only the tip of the iceberg. UNM is the home of many students and faculty who reach out with simple acts of kindness daily. The girl who let you copy her notes. The professor who bought you lunch the day your purse was stolen. The security guard who stayed late to help you change your tire.
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Albuquerque would be bleak indeed if not for the people that sacrifice for the sake of our community.
New York might be mourning the loss of many more lives if not for the hundreds of police officers and firefighters that perished on Sept. 11. These brave men and women paid the ultimate price for getting involved.
The best memorial to those lost is not a statue or a park. It is making the sacrifices that community involvement requires. Missing the Sopranos. Having less discretionary income. Opening your heart to that at-risk student. Taking off of work to vote. These pale in comparison to what New York required of its police officers and firefighters last week. Surely we owe it to them to make the America they died for a better place.
Today we mouth platitudes about a "United America" and "Giving to help the disaster relief." Talk is cheap. Candles lit at vigils burn out. We should truly honor these fallen heroes. Or will we continue to live as we have, unwilling to be inconvenienced by "getting involved?"
by Sarah Hunt
Daily Lobo Guest Columnist
Sarah Hunt is the chairwoman of UNM's College Republicans
