Let freedom ring.

In many respects, it seems like just yesterday when our country's foundation was shaken to its very core.As we're all painstakingly reminded, today marks the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks upon the United States.On that fateful morning of Sept. 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaida terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners who intentionally crashed two of them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The horrific collision killed all those on board, as well as many others who worked in the buildings that collapsed within two hours upon impact.The hijackers also crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon in Arlington, VA, just outside Washington, D.C, while a fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the hijackers had redirected toward our nation's capitol.When all was said and done, the death toll tallied 2,996, which included the 19 hijackers.Much like each of you, I can very vividly recall where I was and what I was doing when word spread of the national travesty.As a freelance reporter fresh out of college, I reported to the office of another area newspaper in what figured to be a routine morning.Shortly after I arrived, I soon found the day to be anything but ordinary, as my then-editor explained the severity of the attacks as chaos ensued.The news hit me like a ton of bricks, as I couldn't for the life of me fathom such a hideous, callous act on innocent people all in the name of terror.I was then assigned by my then editor to go to Palmerton to get reaction from people on the streets.Once I arrived in town, I went inside Bert's Steakhouse, where several patrons sat at their tables with lunch in tow, aghast at how such an injustice could have taken place.Some had just received wind of the news, while others were much more poignant in their responses.After I had jotted down their comments, I headed back to the office as part of my contribution toward the national news story.Much of the rest of the day was a complete blur, as images of the crash dominated every cable news media outlet.To witness the Twin Towers on fire, only to be reduced to rubble by the impact of the collision, is a sight we as a nation will never forget.That's why in memory of those who lost their lives on that ominous day, we as a country should display our patriotism by whatever means possible.We can start with the American Flag, which we should proudly wave as a show of our respect to those brave men and women who were robbed of their lives.Let's not forget their family and friends, who were also deprived of their loved ones.Perhaps we should sing, or listen to, a rendition of "America the Beautiful".Say it loud. Say it proud.