School wide 9/11 memorials should be mandatory. In a time of controversy, when flying the American flag can be seen as a political view, September 11th is the one day everyone should take time to remember and honor the flag that flew in the rubble of the twin towers.

School wide recognition seems like a given, but barely any 9/11 remembrance is present in some schools today. At most, history classes have a ten-minute class discussion and English classes read former president George W. Bush’s speech from that day, but that is not enough. School wide 9/11 recognition should be mandatory.

Sitting in a classroom, pretending that one of the most remembered terrorist attacks did not happen 19 years ago, is a travesty. 2,605 citizens did not die only to be forgotten by students.

All public school students today were born after the attack. The importance of this day can never be taught to young students if 9/11 memorialization dwindles with each school year. More lives were lost on 9/11 than in the attacks on Pearl Harbor, yet Pearl Harbor is much more likely to be discussed on its anniversary and year-round in the classroom. Some schools show little respect for this day, and that is disgraceful.

Just because a subject does not have an immediate correlation to American history, does not make a science or math class excused from at least discussing the impact of 9/11. Not even a moment of silence was taken in school today. This is an issue of basic human empathy. No student should go to school on 9/11 and not know what day it is. No student should not understand how this attack changed America. It is incomprehensible for a 12 year-old to understand how airports used to work, because this generation was raised in fear that has  been present for the last  19 years.

Though it is understandable to not have a school-wide 9/11 memorial or assembly this year in response to COVID-19 health concerns, that does not excuse the past decade of pitiful attempts to honor the lives that were lost that infamous day.

Whether you witnessed 9/11 in person, or on the news, or you were not even born yet, each and every life lost in 9/11 deserves more respect and recognition in public schools.