Today, you can make a difference.

It was 10 years ago Sunday that thousands watched as the airplanes crashed into the Twin Towers.

Brian Patrick Monaghan, 21, loved baseball and was known around Inwood, a neighborhood in New York, as “slick” the good guy; he was on his second day of work at the Certified Installation Services on the 98th floor of the World Trade Center.

Toshiya Kuge, 20, wanted to attend graduate school in America after he graduated from Waseda University in Toyko; he was on his way back to school when he boarded Flight 93.
Lisa Frost, 22, was going home to California after her graduation from Boston University and a summer job in Boston; she was flying on Flight 175.

These are just a few of the people, people our age, who lost their lives that day.
We can’t stop these acts from happening. There will always be people that love to cause trouble, to cause conflict.

Thankfully, a better tomorrow is possible. We might not be able to achieve everlasting national peace, but we can make a change, starting today. Go out and greet a stranger. Hold the door open for the person behind you. Smile at someone who seems upset. Help someone who is struggling with an arm full of books. Donate some money to the homeless guy on the street.

Talk to someone from a different culture. Learn about his or her customs. We are fortunate to be in a diverse nation; choose to melt with it.

The events of 9/11 shifted our generation from an early age. We were somewhere between the ages of 10 and 13 when that day happened, too young perhaps to understand the full weight of what it meant to our nation.

Some could say it strengthened our nation; we bonded over grief. Others could say it tore our nation; we debated over going to war. Whatever your opinion, we still honor that day.

While we will never have national peace, we can have a national moment of peace. On Sunday, stop and remember the lives lost. Stop and remember those still fighting because of that day. Stop and appreciate the country we live in, the people in your life, the moments you have.

Both Valdosta and VSU will host ceremonies. Even if you choose not to go to one or both of these events, at least stop and join in the moment of peace.

This editorial was written by Stephanie Turner (sdturner@valdosta.edu) and it expresses the opinion of the entire editorial staff.