The media will soon be saturated with reminders of 9/11 and we will be bombarded with continuous exposure to that tragedy as never before in the history of communications. Our seemingly insatiable need to be in touch with the immediate world, and an innate feeling in our psyche that to not relive the event will be deemed unpatriotic, will guarantee an outpouring of “Where were you and what were you doing?” stories. Outside of those who lost their loved ones—the relatives and friends of the fallen, the recovery and cleanup teams, those who gave aid and comfort at the sites of the tragedies or volunteered in performing many services there—most of us will remember what we saw on our television screens. Are those visual memories sufficient to honor the fallen or is there a better way?

The citizens of New York, its leaders and business community are now discussing a revitalized WTC site, with Governor Pataki declaring that the ground imprint of the WTC towers should forever remain undeveloped. Americans have always responded to monumental events that signified a turning point in our lives and history by creating those very monuments and memorials that personified those events. Whether it’s the Liberty Bell, the Gettysburg National Cemetery, the Battleship Arizona Memorial, or the eternal flame at the Arlington National Cemetery, monuments serve as a reminder that every generation is intrinsically entwined with those preceding. It’s our national DNA.

There are also efforts to memorialize those who died in that remote Pennsylvania field to thwart the suicide flight of the invaders. Whether or not something is afoot in regards to the dead from the Pentagon attack, I’m not certain. However, should any effort to memorialize be the sole responsibility of the community where the tragic events occurred or should we all have an opportunity for input as the events of 9/11 changed us forever?

In l776, the majority of Americans weren’t present in Philadelphia to hear the Liberty Bell ring. No more than a few thousand listened to President Lincoln at Gettysburg in November of l863. Every year, fewer and fewer Pearl Harbor veterans are left to bear witness to that day. There is a daily honor guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery where we honor those who gave their lives in wars to assure our own even though they rest in anonymity. The majority of Americans didn’t participate in these events but we memorialize them because they changed our lives forever.

A generation of Americans are still debating the best way to commemorate Woodstock, which many consider a watershed event in their lives due to its social, cultural and psychological impact. Our electronic and print world exploded with Elvis sightings on the 25th anniversary of his death. In this case the sightings were of the multitude who still pay pilgrimage to the pop icon’s grave. Soon the entertainment world will cast aside restraint and cash in on 9/11. Will it be the subject of the next “thriller” at the local cineplex?

Before 9/11 becomes the exclusive property of our mass culture, we all need to look within ourselves and figure out how we want to remember an event that left no doubt that we are as prone to acts of terrorism as the rest of the world; an event that forever changed any complacent attitude we may have had as “Fortress America.”

If we are faithful to past traditions, there should be a national effort to memorialize 9/11. After all, it’s now a part of our DNA.