As you are reading this issue of Mercer Business Magazine, I would ask you to look ahead to the 10th anniversary of a chapter in our American experience that is now branded into our national consciousness. The events of September 11th 2001 will be remembered by many in different ways but the effect of that day has forever determined the course of history and altered our perception of what it means to be an American. We in New Jersey suffered numerous losses and shared unique experiences. Many of us lost loved ones, neighbors and co-workers. We participated in volunteer efforts both at home and at ground zero. We remember that day in different ways but it has had a profound effect on how we now live our lives collectively.
At the time, we attended ceremonies, watched documentaries, prayed and seeked comfort in our families, our God and a nation united.  With strength and courage to face an uncertain future, we moved foward. Now, at the dawn of the 10th anniversary of “911” it is time to reflect upon those experiences and commemorate that day in such a way that it renews our commitment to our nation, to each other and to the notion that our freedom brings us both opportunities and responsibilities. This anniversary should be dedicated to those who have sacrificed so much for the ideals of this great American experience. This can and will be done through ceremony and dedication but we also need to carry the memory and pass it on to our children and grandchildren, many of whom were not even born when those terrible days occurred. Education is the key. The events of that day; their meaning then and how we are affected now, as well as their relationship to other sacrifices made in our nation’s history, need to be learned.  Above all, the anniversary of “911” should forever teach us that freedom has a price and we have an obligation as citizens in a free society to protect that freedom and never take it for granted.
The Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce has been working with Governor Tom Kean, Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadgno, and the New Jersey State Museum to help plan and raise funds for New Jersey’s commemoration of the anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001. We have been invited by Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno to serve as a member of the NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM 9/11 COMMEMORATION COMMITTEE along with several other long standing individual Chamber members and State Officials. I am happy and proud of two of our Chamber members who have already committed substantial funds for the effort, Bernie Flynn of New Jersey Manufacturers  Insurance Company and Kevin Tylus of PNC Bank. These Chamber members along with a long list of other Mercer Regional Chamber members have donated their time and resources to a year- long series of programs. The series will be dedicated to the memory of those lost in these tragic events insights into the character of a nation through a challenging episode in our nation’s history.
We will provide you with more information on these programs and hope to engage you in this effort. Our web site will provide a portal to the “9/11 Committee’s” web site for all who wish to participate. We urge all of our members to be a part of this commemoration and help keep the memory alive and meaningful.
 

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