From Todd Montgomery, September 11, 2012
Today, as we reflect on the tragic events of September 11, 2001, consider this:
In the Summer of 2001, we visited Ellis Island, the place where new immigrants disembarked to enter the land of freedom and liberty.
Imagine what they saw a hundred or more years ago when they looked out the doors and windows of the giant building facing onto their new land.
It struck me that even though immigrants no longer were processed through this island, the view in 2001 was just as striking and powerful. We looked with awe from the perspective of Ellis Island and beheld the Twin Towers. The Towers symbolized freedom and a chance to succeed, which is frequently denied to so many in other lands. America was (and still is) the land where everyone could have a chance, an opportunity, an idea, a place to work, and raise a family and to help others, a place to practice a religion, and a place to have a say in what the future might be—without the fear of punishment, persecution, or even death.
This photo was taken just weeks before the Twin Towers were destroyed, but but in our lives they will always symbolize the promise and hope for the future. Let us remember with reverence and compassion those who lost their lives 11 years ago and also those heroes who have fought and are fighting for our precious freedoms in America.
Photo from Ellis Island of the Twin Towers, Copyright, TV Montgomery