43
Kasich urged Ohio communities to honor first responders
By Marc Kovac
WESTERVILLE
Gov. John Kasich urged Ohioans to honor the memory of firefighters and other emergency responders who died on Sept. 11, 2001, and those who continue to serve communities today by being “a center of justice and healing in whatever way we can.”
“I think at the end of the day for America, it’s honoring what these first responders did for us and do for us every day – live a life a little bit bigger than themselves, treat everybody with respect and dignity,” the governor told an audience in the suburban Columbus community where he lives. “They’re a good role model. ... They’re a good example.”
Kasich offered the comments during a midday service Friday at a special “First Responders Park” that includes a steel segment from the north tower of the World Trade Center. Islamic terrorists crashed airlines into that building, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a rural field in western Pennsylvania, killing nearly 3,000 people in the process.
Tiny flags – one for each of the people who lost their lives – were in place on the west lawn of the Statehouse, with special ceremonies throughout the morning, marking the time that each hijacked jet crashed.
Kasich participated in the Westerville observance, offering a message that focused on overcoming adversity and helping neighbors.
“It’s not about the big shots in America,” he said. “It’s not about the political elite. It’s not about the wealthy. It’s not about celebrity. ... The strength of our country doesn’t rest in those. The strength of our county rests in us.”
He added, “Let’s one more time this day pledge that we’ll do our part, each and every one of us, our little part. ... Let’s unite ourselves and build a stronger United States of America for the world to see and for generations to be able to inherit.”