A Time of Caring, September 11



A Time of Caring, Response to September 11
JMU Convocation Center
September 16, 2001

It is very gratifying to see so many of you here this afternoon. It is important that we come together to support and comfort those who need our love and friendship, those who are among us, and those we will never meet. We are individuals with personal needs, but it has been evident all week in gatherings like this one that we can come together as a community to help one another.

The time will come for us to determine how we will respond to the tragedy of September 11, 2001.

The time will come for us to determine if we will barricade ourselves against the threats of the dark side of humanity, or if we will proudly and openly exhibit to the world that the power of personal freedom has no equal.

The time will come for us to determine who is responsible for the vile acts we witnessed Tuesday, and to assess the penalty for those cowardly deeds. Words like "justice," "retaliation" and "retribution" are on our tongues. Fortunately, our national leaders appear to be focused on those actions, but within the framework of the very principles that make our country as strong as it is. In your understandable anger over Tuesday's events, I ask you to avoid judging others based on the color of their skin, their religion or their nationality. To judge others so, makes you no better than those who have attacked us.

The time will come for us to determine how we will rebuild lives, families, cities, and buildings.

The time will come for us to offer our gratitude to police, firefighters, rescue workers, and volunteers who risked - and in some cases, lost - their lives in an attempt to save others.

And unfortunately, the time will come for us to say goodbye to innocent friends and loved ones whose lives were taken by individuals who led misguided and contemptible lives - lives filled with unimaginable hatred.

But today, let us set aside those necessary steps in our grieving.

Today, let us devote ourselves to the needs of our friends and colleagues. Let us individually and collectively extend a hand, if not an embrace, to those who may have lost relatives or friends, to those who were traumatized by the agony of the suffering of others, and to those who have never experienced the chilling fear of terrorism. What we experienced Tuesday was evil in its most profane form.

I met a new friend last year. His name was Bruce Simmons. I spent time with him in his office. He was a proud graduate of JMU and he worked for Sandler O'Neill on the104th floor of one of the (World Trade Center) towers in Manhattan. After little association with Madison, last year he re-engaged with us. He spoke to classes in the College of Business. He became a significant contributor. I am sure he would have become an active leader of alumni.

I wrote an e-mail to him on Tuesday evening praying that it would reach him and that I would receive a positive response. Instead, I received a note on Thursday from Bruce's wife, Kathy, that said: "He, I feel, is lost and probably not to be found. He loved being involved with JMU again and proud to have been a graduate." Please say a prayer for Bruce, for Kathy and his family.

Today, let us comfort those who need our strength.

Today, let us also extend our thoughts and prayers to those innocent victims we don't know, but with whom we shared a common set of values.

And finally, today, let us give thanks for the country in which we live, for the freedoms we enjoy, and for this community in which we work, live and learn.

As the president of a university, one feels a tremendous sense of responsibility for the welfare of the members of the institution. On Tuesday, upon hearing of the atrocities in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania, I immediately sent out the word to gather key staff to organize our response to this terrible crisis. I ended up waiting some time before meeting with those staff, because they had already gathered with each other to discuss appropriate responses and to devise action plans to ensure the safety and support of the students, faculty and staff of this university. I am extremely proud of their efforts.

I have heard numerous reports of faculty who set aside their normal lectures and, instead, focused on the needs of anxious - at times, angry - and unsure students. I have witnessed counselors and psychologists who dropped their normal work responsibilities and channeled their expertise and energy to the service of others. I have seen students consoling other students worried about the safety of their loved ones.

This community is filled with those who want to help. If you are having a difficult time coping with the horror we have experienced, give yourself permission to ask for help. I assure you that you are not alone. Members of our Counseling and Student Development Center and the Psychology faculty are in the Hall of Fame Room in this building today, and are ready to assist you should you need help.

Although we are rightfully filled with remorse, we have much for which we should be grateful. I encourage you to look to your left and to your right; look in front of you and behind you; and then say, "Thank you for caring."