Illinois, Obama Commemorate Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks

By Soyoung Kwak in News on Sep 11, 2010 4:30PM

It is difficult to believe that it has been nearly a decade since the September 11 attacks in New York City. President Obama made his weekly address this morning, and spoke about the devastating losses and the memorable images the attacks left imprinted on our minds, citing that the "passage of time will never diminish the pain and loss forever seared in the consciousness of the nation." The President also attended an event at the Pentagon, another site of the 9/11 attacks. Obama's remarks at the Pentagon carried a somber tone, as he addressed the exacting pain and devastation that the attacks brought on society:

In an address to people attending the Pentagon ceremony Saturday, Mr. Obama said those who attacked the United States that day attacked not just buildings but the very idea of America itself. He said the highest honor Americans can pay those who died is to live their lives as Americans.

The attacks on 9/11 occurred in New York City, but there are ties to Illinois that bring the tragedy closer to home. Navy Commander Dan Shanower from Naperville was killed at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and family and friends gathered at an event sponsored by the Naperville Exchange Club to honor Shanower's memory. Wheaton native Susan Sauer was also killed on September 11 at the World Trade Center. These local ties have prompted those from Illinois to join others in commemorating and honoring those who were killed nine years ago. Not just limited to events in New York City, people all over Illinois have taken great steps to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the attacks:

• Chicago motorcycle club on the road to NYC for 9th anniversary memorial ride.
• Chicago journalists reflect on 9/11.
• Chicago suburbs commemorate the 9th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
• The NYFD ran through Chicago last week in remembrance of the victims of 9/11.

Although many lives were lost, many other lives were changed. The nine year anniversary of 9/11 comes during a time of great political and social controversy. But today at the Pentagon, Obama acknowledged that "this is a time of difficulty for our country, and it is often in such moments that some try to stoke bitterness -- to divide us based on our differences, to blind us to what we have in common."