Monday, September 12, 2011

9/11 remembered

I would like to acknowledge the victims and first responders of 9/11 and the people across the Southland who took time to remember them on the 10th anniversary attacks this weekend.

Today, a new tower is rising from the smoldering rubble in New York, and as we commemorated this solemn occasion, events around Los Angeles also served to raise our spirit as a community. The seal of our great nation reads: e pluribus unum -- out of many, one. Here is a brief look at just a few of the events that brought Angelenos together this weekend:

The Museum of Tolerance held a ceremony at which the names of all 9/11 victims were read and candles were lit in their memory.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council and the Islamic Center of Southern California held a special ceremony, "Honoring America's Bravest," to recognize Los Angeles's first responders.

The Los Angeles Fire Department paid tribute to America's first responders.

And I was honored to work with the Los Angeles Council of Religious Leaders and clergy from around Southern California to present One Light, a gathering of hundreds of representatives from diverse houses of worship.