Eleven years ago, nearly 3,000 people died when four hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Centers in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., and into a field in Shanksville, Pa.
Eleven years ago our countrywas blindsided by a terrorist attack, and although the mastermind behind this heinous tragedy is long gone, the sting from those images both on TV and in real life still brings chills down America's spine.
Aside from families affected by 9/11, I hadn't seen much talk about this year's anniversary. It isn't usually until Sept. 10 that the time of year dawns on me, and this year it literally slapped me in the face.
Monday morning, a shared post of a "9/11 pizza special" coupon came across my Facebook timeline. The image read that on Sept. 11, a large cheese pizza would only cost $9.11.
At first, I thought it was a Photoshopped image pulled from a satirical page on Reddit or Tumblr, but when I learned the coupon came from local pizzeria Riva's Pizza's Facebook page, I felt the blood rush to my head.
For a New York establishment to try and capitalize off of a tragedy that affected not only our nation, but also our state, so harshly is an abomination.
The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 represent a time when our country was emotionally vulnerable. It represented a time where thousands of families had no idea where their loved ones were, and others who knew their mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters were never coming home.
It does not represent saving a couple dollars on a large pizza.
This time of year is extremely sensitive for people, especially those from the tri-state area who witnessed the attacks. I live 45 minutes away from Manhattan and I remember the smoke from the towers in the air that afternoon.
I remember the chaos that my middle school teachers couldn't control and the confusion my classmates and I experienced from watching them react to a situation we weren't aware of. I remember the calls from my grandmother in El Salvador, barely able to talk because she thought we had been hurt.
It's rumored the pizzeria's advertisement was an attempt to raise money for families of victims from 9/11, but regardless, their execution was insensitive.
To dwindle a day in history that will live in America's memory like Pearl Harbor did is the perfect way to misrepresent what America stands for.
We are a country of resilience and we have bounced back and will continue to bounce back when tragedies like this strike. We will not capitalize off the grief of our fellow Americans. We will not make a play on a day that makes our hearts heavy and our days solemn.
We will show respect.
The coupon was taken down along with a status update on Saturday that teased the upcoming savings a few hours after the original post.
What I, as a proud New Yorker, refuse to accept is any type of disrespect, not only to the victims that died on Sept. 11, but the troops who have since fought to keep this country safe.
And that goes for anybody capitalizing on the corpses of 3,000 people and countless others.
Email: elva.aguilar@ubspectrum.com
