Twenty-five years ago, on September 11, our nation experienced a tragedy that profoundly changed our country and the world.
On that day, terrorists attacked our nation, murdering nearly 3,000 innocent people and forever altering the lives of countless families.
For those of us who remember that day, the images and emotions remain vivid. We remember the shock and profound sadness, but also the extraordinary courage of first responders, health care professionals and ordinary citizens who ran toward danger and reached out to help others.
For many members of the KCU community, September 11 is now a historical event rather than a personal memory. That reality makes our responsibility to remember even more important. There can be no ambiguity about the evil of terrorism or the deliberate taking of innocent human life.
I was a new medical school dean on that terrible day and felt a duty to offer words of strength and encouragement to our faculty and staff and students. My message then was that those of us in the healing professions had dedicated our lives to serving humanity and preserving life. Twenty-five years later, that responsibility remains unchanged.
Our nation and world continue to confront hatred, violence, and division. While we may disagree on many issues, we can stand together in defense of human life, dignity, compassion and service to others. These values transcend our differences and lie at the heart of our mission at KCU of improving the well-being of the communities we serve.
Today, we remember those whose lives were taken, the families forever changed, and all who responded to extraordinary evil with extraordinary courage and service.
May we honor their legacy by choosing courage over fear, compassion over indifference and unity over division.
And may we never forget.
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