Two thousand nine hundred and ninety-six. The estimated number of innocent casualties on September 11 of 2001 is 2,996. Nearly 3,000 citizens with families and friends were erased from the Earth.
As September 11 is observed this Saturday, many remember and honor the civilians tragically taken early from the United States. Also known as Patriot Day, September 11 honors those fallen as a result of the attacks on the World Trade Center and plane hijacking plotted by the terrorist group Al Qaeda.
Every year workplaces and schools usually take time out of their schedule to honor those affected by the attacks, so why isn’t this a holiday where Americans can have full remembrance of those who passed?
The United States has similar holidays such as Memorial Day, where citizens honor the many soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect our country. A federal holiday for September 11 should be put in place by lawmakers because it shares the same purpose in commemorating Americans who lost their lives.

If put into place, the holiday would give people the proper amount of time to respect those lost, and also let those affected by the attacks the time to grieve instead of taking the day off of work. This holiday would help so many find light in a time of great darkness by improving people’s overall morale and by highlighting a significant event that changed America forever.
This holiday would promote education on the events of 9/11 and give people a greater understanding of past and continuous effects in the US. It is imperative that the holiday is known as Patriot Day be revised to include the day off. The positive effects that this would have on the American people are immense.
Some may say that the criteria to make Patriot Day a full-fledged holiday just isn’t there, but this is a gross misstatement. While 9/11 has fewer casualties compared to Memorial Day, the events of September 11 sent ripples and waves of effects throughout America and the world. Others argue that it would be like creating a holiday for terrorists, but that is entirely false.
9/11 is not only a day to honor those lost, but also to acknowledge and be thankful for the United States’ swift and forceful response to those who connived to bring the event to fruition. If Americans can have holidays such as Labor Day, where citizens simply honor the work they have done throughout the year, then surely we can expand a holiday that stands for so much more.
In conclusion, the day currently known as Patriot Day should be recognized as a federal holiday. This would allow many to fully express their grief and sorrow for the poor souls attacked on September 11, 2001.  To support this cause, contact a local lawmaker and petition to have Patriot Day become what it should have always been.