Where was the caring
before Sept. 11?

Since Sept. 11, we've seen an outpouring of generosity throughout America, but where was this before?

Celebrities have hosted telethons, but where were they when homeless people needed shelter? Tens of thousands are dying of AIDS every day in Africa, but where's the relief or medical attention? The Red Cross has always had blood drives, but many chose not to give when sick children and adults needed blood. Firefighters and police officers risk their lives day in and day out, but no one has acknowledged what their jobs entail until now. Black and white, Christian and Jew, rich and poor have been standing as one, but before we were separated by color, religion, or wealth -- or lack thereof. Some who have attended candlelight vigils have never before knelt down to pray.

We must learn to keep one another from falling so there is no need to pick us up. What we've done these last few weeks is wonderful, but we need this commitment every day. Don't tell your family you love them when tragedy falls; tell them when times couldn't be any better. Perhaps we can look back on this day of terror as the day we came together.

Tawana Barnes

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