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A new law has been signed that mandates that a moment of silence be observed in public schools. This is happening across New York on September 11 to mark the anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who just signed the law this week, says that it is intended to encourage “dialogue and education” in classrooms so that the future generations and lawmakers of tomorrow understand just how impactful that day was.
September 11, 2001, was 18 years ago today. That means that children in public schools have zero personal memory of the terrorist attacks because they were not born yet. Just something to note, if you wanted to feel old today.
Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives 18 years ago when terrorists flew tow plans into the World Trade Center towers, and thousands more were injured trying to escape the towers and destruction that followed.
The 9/11 Memorial Plaza in New York will be open to the public today from 3 pm until midnight, where two beams of light are set to illuminate the sky, representing the towers that fell.
The lights are made of 88 searchlights carefully positioned and will be able to be viewed up to 60 miles away.
The moment of silence law for 9/11, which was sponsored by state Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr and Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato, was signed on Monday and goes into effect immediately.
When speaking of the law, Amato says that by requiring a moment of silent reflection each year, “we may ensure that future generations will better understand this day and its significance in our history.”
Cuomo called the attack “one of the single darkest periods in this state’s and this nation’s history”, and went on to say that they “owe” it to first responders who risked their lives to keep their memory alive.
Earlier this year, Congress approved extending the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, which permanently compensates those who were injured during the attacks or rescue efforts that followed it.
This includes firefighters and first responders who have since developed debilitating diseases due to materials inside of the towers entering their skin or lungs, including cancer and chronic digestive issues.
As of June 18 of this year at least 200 firefighters from FDNY have died due to illnesses relating to their time spent at the World Trade Center during the attack and cleanup efforts.
