TRANSCRIPT: NYS Assemblyman Otis at the City of Rye 9-11 Ceremony

The following is a copy of NY State Assemblyman Steve Otis’ remarks from the City of Rye 9-11 Ceremony. You can see the full video and schedule of speakers here.

City of Rye Virtual Ceremony – Statement of Assemblyman Steve Otis, September 11, 2020

In the days that followed September 11, 2001, our community came together on the Village Green to share our grief during a candlelight vigil. We came together in houses of worship to mourn our friends and neighbors. We came together in smaller groups to comfort the families who suffered unimaginable loss.

And every year we come together on September 11, this year virtually, to honor the fourteen precious members of our community we lost nineteen years ago.

Our remembrance of their exceptional lives goes well beyond today. They are in our thoughts throughout the year. We beckon our memories of times together, activities, friendship, and laughter—a way to summon them back—to keep them in our hearts. These are thoughts that are with us always.

September 11th is a day to honor the members of our community taken from us.

Rye’s loss was great. For a community of our size to have fourteen killed was a heavy toll. Today we again come together to say that we care and we deeply feel what we lost.

Nineteen years of their time here with us just taken away! The evil will never be forgotten that took almost 3000 lives and also left many first responders with deadly illnesses and changed the lives of countless families and friends.

But today let’s remember the happy moments, the energy of the lives of the fourteen dear members of the Rye community who we honor at the gazebo behind the Square House a few feet away: the fathers, brothers, husbands and children stolen from our town but not our hearts.

Through our annual September 11th ceremony, we continue to say as a community, we love, we miss and we honor you all.