September 11, 2001 terrorists hijacked four planes in New York. They crashed two into the World Trade Center, one at the Pentagon, and one crashed in upstate Pennsylvania. There were 2977 victims that died that day, making it the deadliest terror attack ever.
I have several books honoring today. First is “World Trade Center” by Peter Skinner, published 2002. This is a history of the twin towers, and a photo documentary of its destruction. The book is unusually sized, eight inches wide and 15 inches tall. There are many fold out photographs.
I also have “Style Manual” by U.S. Printing Office, published 1973. This is an office book explaining grammar, spelling, and punctuation for government writing. Not exactly an exciting book, except from where it came from. My brother-in-law, just assigned to the Pentagon only days before 9/11, pulled this book from the rubble. Next to that book is a pamphlet describing the future Pentagon Memorial.
On September 11, I was only several days away from traveling with friends to London. Needless to say, we did not make that trip. I have yet to visit England. I have been to where the World Trade towers were, and seen the rubble, the giant hole in the ground. This next year, I will visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. I have seen the Pentagon memorial.
September 11, also known as La Diada, commemorates the fall of Barcelona during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714. After a fourteen month seige, Barcelona was overrun. Catalonia laws and government were cancelled, and even their language was outlawed. The French were brutal to Catalans.
On September 11, 1886, an illegal mass in honor of the people who died in the 1714 siege was celebrated in the church of Santa Maria del Mar. Though it was still not allowed, every year more and more people would celebrate. Because the government forbid the masses, Catalans continued. When Francisco Franco took power in 1936 (to 1975), he was especially cruel to Catalans. After his death, the La Diada celebrations began again.
Catalans remember their loss not as a celebration of defeat, but as a reminder that they are still struggling for their own autonomy-they are proud to be from Catalonia. They show Spain that they still want to have the control of their lives. It is their National Day.
In 2017 there was to be a vote for Catalan Independance Referendum. The government considered the vote illegal, and told the police to shut down the voting. There was a lot of police brutality.
I have a book “On és L’Estel-La?” by Toni Galmés, published 2018. It is a “Where’s Waldo” type of book, but instead of Waldo, there is a Catalan girl, dressed up in the traditional clothes, which included a yellow shirt, red pants, and a red stocking hat. She was also holding a white flag with a red line slashed across it-signifying that the government was trying to silence the Catalan voice.
The book would show scenes of police raiding printing presses, and shutting down voting, and actually beating up people. You could see their brutality as you were trying to find the girl. The police unions of Spain took the author and the publishing company to court to stop printing the book, and to apologize to the police. After two years, the courts sided with the author.
I have been to Barcelona. I saw where Franco bombed Plaça de Sant Felip Neri, a church and playground, killing 42 people, mostly children. You can see the pock-marked walls outside the church. Franco claimed it was the Catalan anarchists that were executing priests, that caused the damage to the walls.
I have also been to the Church of Santa Maria del Mar, the Catalan-Gothic church, where their first September 11 mass was held. I was even able to climb up the tower and walk out on the roof. It is quite a beautiful church.
We have two countries, both that honor their fallen on September 11 because of horrible attacks. It is also Libraries Remember Day on September 11th-to recognise the importance libraries have on society, and to preserve history. I am glad that I can use this day, and some books from my library, to keep the memory of September 11th alive.
Librarytomes 