SAN ANGELO, TX - Yesterday, on the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that shook the nation in 2001, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), in collaboration with the Peace Ambassadors of West Texas, honored the fallen men and women who lost their lives. They did so with a memorial entitled “Your Peace Matters.” The event was part of the Peace Ambassadors 2016 Season of Peace that is taking place from Sept. 8 through Sept. 21.
Fifteen years ago, a series of terrorist acts not only affected thousands of lives in New York, Washington D.C., and rural Pennsylvania, but also around the world. More than 2,500 lives were lost--lives that will never be forgotten. Within a span of two hours, two U.S planes crashed into the North and South Towers respectively of the World Trade Center, located in central New York, causing the towers and surrounding buildings to collapse. A third plane, hijacked by members of the same group of terrorists from the first two planes, crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Another plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania after American passengers on that plane decided to thwart an additional attack.
Locally, the 9/11 Memorial, near the Celebration Bridge in Downtown San Angelo, was the site for yesterday’s thoughtful memorial program that honored the victims of the 9/11 attacks. This special presentation brought together people of all ages, different faiths and various generations through prayer, song and dance.
Sherley Spears, the program coordinator for the event, and a NAACP Unit 6219 member, stated that the choice of saying prayers of the Christian, Muslim, Wiccan, Jewish, and Hindu Religion was to show “what we have in common more than the things that are different.” Spears further remarked that “prayers of peace are in every faith, and go in step with what the Peace Ambassadors do as an organization: to diversify and bring in different factors to show that, despite our differences, we are all very much the same.”
Becky Benes, the president of the Peace Ambassadors of West Texas, explained that the Season of Peace events began in 2006 as a response to the 9/11 attacks. Initiated by Bishop Michael Pfeifer as an Inter-Faith movement, the Season of Peace events have since grown steadily in attendance. Benes underscored that the Peace Ambassadors have “grown to include all faiths to promote peace through understanding, education and building relationships.” Benes was thrilled to have the NAACP join forces on this day as she sees this movement evolve to where “we are moving more into not just inter faith, but inter cultural and inter race, to heal the wounds of the past.”
To conclude the ceremony, members of the Peace Ambassadors of West Texas came together to place a remembrance wreath on the 9/11 Memorial. Mayor Dwain Morrison quoted Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote, “We must, indeed, all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately,’ and said, “That is what today is about; so why don’t we hang together as a nation? And as a people, why don’t we get along?”
Additionally, San Angelo Police Chief Frank Carter said he was proud to see that “a lot of folks had showed up to honor those who had fallen during 9/11,” and is hopeful for next year’s event to have even more people in attendance.
More events to be hosted by the Peace Ambassadors can be found on their Facebook page, “Peace Ambassadors of West Texas.”
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