ThisWeek Community News
Thursday, September 13, 2007
By Candy Brooks
Police, fire, service leaders remember 9/11
Protesters turn out for Village Green ceremonies
About 125 people showed up on the Village Green to remember 9/11 on Tuesday.
The small crowd listened intently as military, police and fire officials shared their thoughts about the day that most say forever changed America.
Keynote speaker Col. John Harris of the Ohio National Guard compared the attacks on American civilians and the attack on Pearl Harbor. Both started wars, he said, but there were important differences.
“We’ve entered an age of warfare against an adversary that has no conscience,” Harris said.
He urged community members to do more than remember.
“The most important thing all of us can do is be a good citizen,” he said.
The event was sponsored by the American Legion Post 239, which awarded its first Patriot Award to Bill and Cheryl Smith.
Bill is an officer in the post, and Cheryl is president of the ladies’ auxiliary. Both work long hours at the veterans’ clinic.
Though the official speeches took center stage at the noonday event, protesters let themselves be known with placards and, in the case of a lone woman, shouts of anti-abortion slogans.
An organization called Columbus 9/11 Truth made its way to the front of the crowd with its large sign. The 9/11 truth movement questions the U.S. government’s official explanation for what happened that day, and seeks further investigation.
When the protesters first approached the speakers’ area with its sign, a few residents attempted to push them out of the way. Quickly and quietly, police officers stopped what could have become a confrontation, and peace prevailed.
Worthington Police Chief Michael Mauger indirectly addressed the protests during his speech, saying he had been in Philadelphia over the weekend and visited Independence Hall, where he read the words of “enlightened men.” Those men wisely protected the right to protest, he said, and police officers take an oath to protect all.