Today, the Lincoln Police Department recruits ran the stairs of Memorial Stadium. Performing the same actions as the men and women who ran up and down those stairs of the World Trade Center Towers bears witness to the heroism of those first responders and their willingness to confront the unspeakable horror that became 9/11.
In a news release from LPD:
As we climb the stairs, we hope to remind people of their sacrifice, their bravery in the most terrifying of circumstances. Running the stairs is a reverent gesture that commemorates their sacrifice. But the gesture is not simply symbolic.”
Performing an arduous activity forces us to empty ourselves, and we empty ourselves so that we may be filled with something greater: self-discipline, self-sacrifice, humility, kindness, patience, and gratitude. The most noble way to honor the 9/11 heroes is not simply to run a few stairs one day a year, but to strive to live a life of heroic virtue.
We run the stairs with the hope that the rest of our lives and careers will embody the bravery and sacrifice they demonstrated in their last moments. We pledge to honor their deaths with a lifetime of service and sacrifice to our communities.