Americans are today marking the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on this nation in their own way.

According to an American Pulse Survey, half of us will be observing the day in an informal way while 12 percent are doing it in a formal manner. The remaining 30 percent say they will not be doing anything different today while the remaining 8 percent of people did not have an opinion.We were glad to hear that in New York, political leaders and other government figures wouldn't be speaking at the ground zero ceremony, although they were welcome to attend. Memorial President Joe Daniels explained that "honoring the victims and their families in a way free of politics" in an election year was important.The Obama and Romney campaigns also ceased running political advertising on the anniversary.To honor the 9/11 victims with living tributes, such as helping those among us who are in need, proves to the world that the American spirit is alive and well.Volunteers with Habitat for Humanity in New York City, for example, are making volunteer service their living tribute by building affordable homes for working families in Brooklyn. The volunteers include persons from the New York Stock Exchange, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, members of the military and people who helped with 9/11-related relief activities.Another shining testimony is the non-profit group called MyGoodDeed, which has been encouraging people to make a commitment to one commemorative act, such as thanking a firefighter or volunteering at a community center. The growth of the MyGoodDeed project over the last decade is quite incredible. This is a positive way to pay tribute to and honor those responders who gave their lives in the 9/11 attacks.Jay S. Winuk co-founded 9/11 Day with David Paine, a friend and former colleague, shortly after the attacks. Winuk's brother, attorney and volunteer firefighter/EMT Glenn J. Winuk, was specially trained and certified in building collapse rescue operations.After the World Trade Center attack, Glenn, working out of the Jericho Volunteer Fire Department, helped to evacuate his law offices, before rushing to the WTC's South Tower to help in those rescue efforts. He was killed in the line of duty when the building collapsed at 9:59 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001. His partial remains were found in March of 2002.That year, Paine and Jay Winuk formed the nonprofit group in honor of Glenn and all those who perished.It's important to note that the volunteer service is a living tribute and not limited to the 9/11 anniversary. Persons can find local opportunities to serve others in their region by going to the website

http://www.911day.org and typing in their zip code to locate areas in which to help.Seeing Americans helping and serving each other on this day must be discouraging and deflating to those terrorist organizations so obsessed with destroying our way of life. It's as clear today as it was 11 years ago that their mission to weaken the resolve of the American people and topple our freedoms failed completely.By Jim Zbickjzbick@tnonline.com