Resident recalls 9-11
To theEditor:
On the eve of the 10th anniver-
sary of Sept. 11, 2001, I recall the
sick feeling I experienced the
moment I was aware of the
unthinkable attack that took the
lives of 2977 innocent people.
The disbelief and the horror
after seeing the shocking news
reports and TV coverage are forev-
er indelibly implanted in my mind.
Our country had just suffered the
worst invasion in our history. The
terrible sorrow I felt then, I feel
today.
The anger that overwhelmed
me when I saw images of the ter-
rorists, who destroyed somany and
somuch, is still brewing.
I've grown up and grown old
during the past 10 years with
knowledge and age. I've absorbed
my appreciation for the heroes
who gave their lives on that day in
2001 that changed the world. I will
never forget their sacrifice.
On the list of those who served
on that hellish day and paid the
ultimate price are the firefighters
and emergency workers of New
York.
They number 411, of which 341
were firemen and two were para-
medics. Young, old, strong, deter-
mined and unselfish, they did the
same thing they did every other
day. When they reported for work;
they put their lives at risk.
Those who served in NYC
An incident last week got me
thinking about the self-involvement
of youth.
Remember when you were the
only person in theworld?
Sure you do. Most of us outgrow
it, have it ridiculed out of us by our
peers or our parents find creative
ways to demonstrate the need for
consideration of the rest of the
world. For some of us it takes even
longer, college and even kids of our
own before we fully realize that the
sun really doesn't depend on us to
shine.
But we've all been there. Many,
unfortunately, still are. We are con-
fident that we are the only impor-
tant being on the planet, that every-
one is either looking at or talking
about us, that what we wear, what
we drive, whowe are seenwith and
what we say are simply of the most
extreme importance in the struc-
ture of the world. Should we get a
bad haircut, everyone in the uni-
verse will be gawking and pointing.
A pimple will be the talk of the
nation, or at least our peer group,
well, just forever is all.
And don't forget that we were
probably immortal at that time of
our lives, too. I sure remember the
days when nothing bad could ever
happen tome, old age was for, well,
old people and nothing could possi-
bleharmme.
Like most young people with an
underdeveloped frontal cortex, I
took risks and chances that make
me shudder today.
Which brings me to an incident
last weekend when a young person
so inebriated as to be verging on
alcohol poisoning drove a vehicle
fromAnnArbor toPlymouth.
Drove a vehicle. On a Saturday
afternoon, with masses of other
cars on the road, this falling-down
drunk got behind the wheel and
took to the expressway.
Mercifully, no one was injured
in a head-on or across the median,
loss of control crash, and the young
person was hospitalized after a
fast-thinking employer got medical
help from emergency responders.
They hauled the semi-conscious,
vomiting employee off to a local
hospital after administering first
aid and finding a pulse rate of 35
and a complete lack of response to
stimulus.
I hear that the young person is
going to be fine, but thewhole thing
gotme thinking about risks I took at
that age. And I did take them, I
admit that.
But something I never would
have done would have been to
deliberately put somebody else in
harm'sway.
My mother taught me very early
that not only was I not the most
important person around, I barely
made the cut. She had a way of
explaining to me that considera-
tion of others was far more impor-
tant that any-
thing else, up to
and including
my ego, dam-
aged feelings or broken arm. True,
her lessons often involved the back
of her hand against whichever part
of my anatomy happened to be
closest, but her method was excep-
tionally effective.
So if a young person wants to
put themselves at risk by becoming
severely enough impaired to
require hospitalization, well, so be
it. We were all young once, etc. etc.
etc.
But to get behind the wheel of a
deadly weapon like an automobile
while that seriously impaired
smacks of a lack of good parenting,
common sense or evenbasic intelli-
gence.
Young people are going to make
bad judgments, take foolish risks
A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
6
September 15, 2011
A vote
should not
be wasted
We love them.
We've said it before and haven't changed out opinion at all.
The community festivals offered in this area are the very best
example of the spirit of our neighbors.
This week, the Romulus Pumpkin Festival will start off
Friday evening with the Rotary Club Lighted Parade. If you
haven't seen it, try to go. Service clubs, groups and individu-
als decorate motorized vehicles of every size, type and
description with as many lights as possible and join the
parade. It's a hoot, all in good fun, and the clubmembers do a
terrific job organizing andmanaging the event.
Last year, finances and other factors, forced the cancella-
tion of the Pumpkin Festival which the Downtown
Development Authority has revived.
Where else will anyone find a pumpkin throwing contest?
Or a pumpkin pie eating challenge, along with pie baking,
canning andpumpkin growing competitions?
This is small-town America at it's very best and the kinds
of things the Michigan State Fair used to be able to provide
are herewith some greatmusical entertainment added to the
mix. The Pumpkin Festival is always a good time----if the for-
mer attitude of those in attendance is what it used to be, the
energy of good funwithneighbors and friends is contagious.
Last weekend, the oldest and probably most famous of
them all, the Plymouth Fall Festival, faced the challenge of
rainy weather and reduced crowds----until the sun decided to
shine on Sunday. The founder of the event, the Plymouth
Rotary Club, managed to sell all of their 10,500 chicken din-
ners and crowds finally decided to head downtown for the
rides and entertainment.
While crowds were obviously down, as was vendor and
service club participation, or so it appeared, this is another
festival that has become synonymous with Plymouth----like
Art in thePark and the IceFestival----people fromthroughout
the area love to visit Plymouth for these events. We're all in
favor of tradition, and wouldn't change a thing about the
events the service clubs organize every year, the chicken bar-
beque, the traditional Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, the
Rotary Spaghetti Dinner, the Optimist Pet Show, the Taste
Fest. Organizers of the festival might look at some new or
fresh ideas to update the event, however. Tradition is a won-
derful thing, particularly when new events and entertain-
ment or attractions are added to it.
Next week, the beloved Victorian Festival will return to
downtown Northville, where authentic Victorian dress is
required for the Friday parade and costumes from that era
will be seen all weekend. This is another example of a
respect for tradition mixed with the progress of a growing
and forward-thinking community.
Here, too, there will be attractions for all ages and enter-
tainment for everyone. Where else can one sit in the middle
of the street towatchamagic showor puppets?
All these events provide a message of community, of
togetherness, of citizenship and bring neighbors out indroves
to support the local service clubs and have a good time while
donating to local charities which pour the funds back into
projects for the community.
These are great events, and particularly in these serious
and stressful economic times of uncertainty, do more than
just entertain. They bring a needed feeling of unity, involve-
ment and reassurance tomany of thosewho attend.
We'd just like to tip our hat to the organizers, all the serv-
ice clubs and those volunteers who work so long and hard to
make these events a success.
Your efforts are appreciated and the results well worth
your involvement.
Thanks again, for all youdo for the community.
Here, too, there will be attractions
for all ages and entertainment for everyone.
Where else can one sit in the middle
of the street to watch a magic show or puppets?
”
Festivals bring out the best in our communities
Throughout this area, people
will be asked to choose school
boardmembers, city council repre-
sentatives andmayors onNov. 8.
We wonder howmany will exer-
cise their options in the voting
booth and of those who do, how
many will actually take the time to
educate themselves about the
choices theymake.
These days, when many fami-
lies are struggling just to keep their
homes andmost are worried about
the security of their job and their
financial future, making ends meet
seems far more important than
learning about the individual can-
didates seeking voters' favor. Voters
who may have actually taken an
interest in the past are now too dis-
tracted or stressed to have candi-
dates' credentials or experience on
the top of their priority lists, having
been replaced by funding the gro-
cery or utility bills thismonth.
Unfortunately, that very circum-
stance might be altered or
improved by making better, more
informeddecisions at the poll.
It is also unfortunate that there
are candidates taking advantage of
these circumstances, knowing that
apathetic voters will cast their bal-
lots for the most familiar name
they might see. That's the growing
psychology behind the use of yard
signs and the plastering of political
support signs throughout an area---
-these guys may not be qualified,
but they sure understand that the
public will support whomever they
perceive others seem to support
witha yard or building sign.
We can only urge voters, despite
the hectic lives forced on the entire
populace, to try to find time to read
the literature the candidates send,
to watch the forums on cable TV or
even attend the meet the candi-
dates events usually sponsored
throughout the area. Take a look at
the past performance of incum-
bents. Try to discover exactly what
the candidates stand for and
believe.
These are dangerous, uncertain
times and there are those who
would take even greater advantage
of the distraction of the public to
get themselves in positions of
authority for reasons far removed
from any sincere desire for public
service.
We, all of us, criticize our elect-
ed officials at the national, state
and local levels. We usually have
something to say about the deci-
sions they make or don't make or
their action or inaction. That con-
duct is really our responsibility if
we didn't vote wisely or at least
attempt to understand the posi-
tions and political leanings of
those forwhomwe cast our ballot.
One of the favorite old saws of
Our responsibility extends to others, too
See
Responsibility
, page 7
See
Letters
, page 7
See
Voters
, page 7
Letters