Tribute to New York City

Statue of Liberty

For several days now, I've been wondering what I would blog about today that would be appropriate for the occasion today. I'm not a NYC native; in fact, I'm from the Baltimore-Washington area, and I'm a avid Ravens and Orioles fan. I have no photographs of the towers, no street photography from the day of the attacks, and I can't pretend to understand the way the 9/11 attacks have affected the people of New York. I'm just a normal guy from suburban USA.

New York City

In all honesty, I have only been to NYC once since the 9/11 attacks. I went with my family for a day in July 2005 [gallery]. We visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. As I reviewed those photographs yesterday, I realized that this was my tribute to NYC. To me, New York has always been a place that opens its doors to all, and the ancestors of so many Americans came here through New York City. So on this day, it doesn't matter if you're a fan of the Yankees or the Orioles; the Jets or the Ravens. On this day, we're all just people who share together a memory of the destructive power of hate and the hope of a future that will embody the best of what New York City represents--the acceptance of diversity and the welcoming of people from all over the world who yearn to breathe free.