Twenty-Five Years Later: The Greatest Tribute to 9/11 Is How We Care for Today’s Protectors

Remembering the Fallen, Honoring Their Sacrifice, and Protecting Those Who Serve
 
Statement of Record
 

Twenty-five years after September 11, 2001, the responsibility to remember has not diminished—and neither has our responsibility to those who protect us.
 
I will never forget standing atop my office building in Hackensack, New Jersey, watching the Twin Towers burn. The sight was heartbreaking and almost impossible to comprehend. From that distance, I could only imagine what the people inside those buildings were experiencing as they desperately tried to escape. And as I watched the smoke rise over lower Manhattan, I found myself praying for the first responders I knew would be heading toward the site, despite the unimaginable danger. They were going in while others were trying to get out.
 
That memory remains with me. So does the realization that September 11 was never simply an event that happened to America. It happened to people—to families, communities, colleagues and friends—and it forever changed the lives of those who survived and those who were left behind. Among those who answered the call were NYPD officers, FDNY firefighters, EMS personnel, Port Authority Police officers, and countless other first responders who ran toward the danger, placing their own lives between those in peril and the people they were sworn to protect.
 
My work in the years since has brought me throughout America and, increasingly, alongside the NYPD. As the Department’s Honorary Law Enforcement Motivational Speaker, I have had the privilege of standing with officers and leaders across New York City, speaking about ethical leadership, morale, emotional fortitude and suicide prevention. I have also had selected opportunities to extend these principles to the FDNY through visits to firehouses and work with FDNY Peer Support professionals.
 
Those experiences have reinforced a conviction that has become central to my work: protecting the public requires us to protect the people who have accepted the responsibility of protecting the public.
 
That is why Never Forget must mean more than remembering a terrible morning. It must mean remembering the human beings who were lost, honoring the families who have carried their absence, and recognizing the men and women who continue to carry the responsibility of protecting others.
 
The greatest tribute to those who gave their lives is to ensure that those who serve today never have to carry the burdens of service alone.
 
The Memory America Carries
 
For those who lived through September 11, the memories have never belonged solely to that morning. They became part of the years that followed, carried into families, workplaces, firehouses, precincts and communities. For some, the loss was immediate and intimate. For others, it was the loss of a colleague, a neighbor or a friend—or someone whose name would become permanently associated with a day that changed the nation.
 
Twenty-five years later, that personal dimension still matters.

 
There are police officers and firefighters serving today who were not yet born when the World Trade Center was attacked. Some were children too young to understand what they were seeing. Others learned about September 11 through their parents, through photographs and stories, or through the memories of those who had been there. Yet they entered professions profoundly shaped by that day, inheriting not only its history but also a responsibility to understand what it meant to those who came before them.
 
For the men and women of the NYPD, FDNY, Port Authority Police Department, EMS and the many other agencies and professions that responded, September 11 revealed the most demanding meaning of public service. While others were trying to escape the danger, first responders were moving toward it. They climbed stairways while others descended. They entered buildings from which many would never return. They searched, rescued, carried, treated and comforted, often without knowing whether the next moment would be their last.
 
Among those who perished were 343 FDNY firefighters, NYPD officers, Port Authority Police officers, EMS professionals and other first responders who answered the call. Their sacrifice cannot be reduced to the numbers remembered at ceremonies each September. Behind every name was a human being whose absence changed a family forever.
 
There were spouses who suddenly had to raise children alone. Sons and daughters grew up knowing a parent primarily through photographs, stories and the memories of others. Parents lost children, brothers and sisters lost siblings, and colleagues returned to work knowing that familiar voices and faces would no longer come through the door. Communities, too, lost people who had been woven into the ordinary fabric of their lives.
 
That is why September 11 must remain personal, even for those who were not yet alive when it happened. Those who died were not distant figures in a historical event. They were us. They belonged to the communities they served. They sat beside us at work, lived beside us at home, raised families, coached children, worshipped in our churches and synagogues, shopped in our neighborhoods and answered calls when someone needed help.
 
Most importantly, many were protectors. They had accepted a responsibility that asks something extraordinary of an ordinary human being: when danger comes, move toward it while others move away.
 
That responsibility did not end on September 11, 2001. It was inherited by the next generation.
 
Today, when a young police officer puts on the uniform, walks into a precinct and begins a tour, or when a firefighter enters a firehouse and prepares for the next alarm, that officer or firefighter becomes part of a profession carrying memories that began long before his or her career. The names of the fallen remain on memorials, but their legacy also lives in the people who continue to answer the call.
 
This is where remembrance acquires a responsibility of its own. If we truly mean Never Forget, remembering those who gave everything must also lead us to ask what we are doing for the men and women who continue to stand between danger and the people they protect.
 
That question is no less important than the remembrance itself.
 
The Responsibility We Carry Forward
 
The officers and firefighters serving today did not choose the history they inherited. Many entered their professions years after September 11, yet they stepped into institutions forever marked by the courage and loss of that day. They inherited a standard of service forged under circumstances most of us hope never to witness again: when people were in danger, protectors moved toward them.
 

The circumstances are different now, the threats have changed and the demands placed upon law enforcement and the fire service continue to evolve. But the human being beneath the uniform has not changed. Every officer and firefighter still carries the capacity for courage, fear, grief, exhaustion, hope and renewal.
 
That reality places a particular responsibility on those entrusted with leadership. People who repeatedly place themselves in harm's way cannot be sustained indefinitely by being told simply to endure. They need to know that their service matters, that their sacrifices are recognized and that their organization will stand with them when the burden becomes heavy. They also need to know that acknowledging fear, grief or vulnerability does not diminish the courage that brought them into the profession.
 
Emotional fortitude is not the absence of those experiences. It is the capacity to confront them without surrendering to them—to process what has happened, draw upon the strength of others and continue forward. Sometimes the most important act of protection occurs far from the scene of an emergency: a colleague notices that something has changed; a supervisor takes the time to listen; an organization treats a person's struggle as a matter of human dignity rather than weakness; someone has the courage to intervene before a crisis becomes irreversible.
 
This is where suicide prevention becomes inseparable from the meaning of Never Forget. If we remember those who died protecting others but fail to recognize protectors who are struggling today, our remembrance remains incomplete.
 
The obligation of the present generation extends beyond preserving the memory of September 11. It is to build a culture worthy of that memory—a culture in which ethical leadership, strong morale, emotional fortitude and suicide prevention are not separate initiatives, but expressions of the same responsibility: protecting those who protect us.
 
That is how a legacy remains alive—not simply in the names engraved in stone, but in the way we lead, support and care for the living.
 
The Torch We Carry Forward
 
Perhaps the most unexpected lesson in remembrance can be found through the eyes of a child.
 
My grandson loves firetrucks. When one passes by, he points toward it with the excitement only a child can express. He has a favorite firetruck toy and even a favorite shirt bearing the NYPD insignia. He does not understand September 11. He cannot comprehend what happened at the World Trade Center or know the names of the firefighters and police officers who gave their lives that day.
 
But he understands something essential: he sees people who protect others.
 
That understanding came alive for me during a visit to FDNY Ladder 4, “The Pride of Midtown.” My wife, my son, my daughter-in-law and I had the privilege of bringing him into the firehouse and introducing him to the firefighters. I remember the pride I felt watching him meet these men and seeing the way they welcomed him—and all of us—with such warmth and respect.
 
They took the time to make the visit special. They welcomed him into their world, held him for photographs and allowed our family to share a moment that became a treasured memory.
 
For me, however, the moment carried a deeper meaning.
 
Engine 54, Ladder 4 and Battalion 9 are known as the Pride of Midtown, and the companies suffered extraordinary losses on September 11. Standing there with my grandson, I could not help but think about the connection between those who answered the call that morning and the firefighters now carrying their tradition forward.
 
These were a new generation of protectors. They had not served on September 11, 2001, and many were not yet in the profession when it happened. Yet they had chosen the same demanding vocation of service, entering a tradition shaped by extraordinary sacrifice.
 
My grandson knew none of that.
 
He simply saw firefighters.
 
And perhaps there is something profoundly beautiful in that simplicity. Before a child understands sacrifice, he can learn gratitude. Before he can comprehend history, he can recognize the people who protect others.
 
The photograph captures that moment for our family, but its meaning extends beyond us. It brings together those who gave their lives, those who serve today and a child who represents the generation that will inherit their example.
 
The legacy of September 11 is therefore not preserved only by looking backward. It lives in the people who continue to answer the call.
 
The young police officers now entering the NYPD may not have been born when the towers fell. The firefighters serving today may know that day primarily through the memories of those who came before them. Yet they have accepted the responsibility of serving in institutions forever changed by September 11.
 
They are not replacing those who were lost.
 
They are carrying their torch.
 
And that brings Never Forget into the present. It means remembering what happened, honoring those who gave their lives and recognizing the people who have accepted the responsibility of carrying their legacy forward. It also means making sure that those protectors do not have to carry the burdens of service alone.
 
The greatest tribute to those who gave their lives on September 11 is not simply to remember how they died. It is to remember why they lived, what they stood for and what they gave to the communities they served.
 
Then, when we see the protectors standing before us today, we should be able to say—not merely in words, but through our actions:
 
We see you. Your service matters. And we will carry one another.

As originally published by Law Officer, Top Featured Article, on September 11, 2026, the 25th Anniversary of 9/11. 

About the Author

Vincent J. Bove is a nationally recognized authority on ethical leadership, violence prevention, and law enforcement resiliency.

A sought-after speaker and prolific author, his work has influenced agencies and institutions across the United States for more than 25 years.

Bove has authored more than 400 published articles and four books addressing critical issues in public safety, leadership, and moral courage. 

His book Reawakening America© was named a finalist for ASIS International’s Book of the Year. Listen to Their Cries© was selected and sponsored for distribution to all attendees—students representing institutions from across the United States—at the National Conference on Ethics in America by the Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic at the United States Military Academy, at the request of a coalition of West Point graduates involved in the conference.

He was appointed the first-ever Honorary Law Enforcement Motivational Speaker by the New York City Police Department, conducting leadership and resiliency initiatives across all five boroughs of New York City.

Bove is also the author of more than seventy articles published in Law Officer, a national publication serving law enforcement professionals across the United States. His work emphasizes ethical leadership, preventive strategies, officer resilience, and the preservation of public trust in modern policing—drawing on American history and enduring leadership traditions to reinforce the importance of character, accountability, and moral courage.

He is a trusted voice at Federal Bureau of Investigation venues, United States Military Academy, and numerous U.S. military facilities. A longtime author for the National Association of Chiefs of Police, he has written 18 cover stories and contributed to shaping national law enforcement dialogue through feature articles and reports.

“Vincent J. Bove is considered one of the foremost national experts on school and workplace violence prevention, specializing in facility protection, evacuations, terrorism prevention, and leadership training.” — U.S. Senate

Photo: Vincent and Lily Bove, World Trade Center Memorial, May 11, 2026, NYC. (RALLC)

 
Related Law Officer Selections by Vincent J. Bove
 
1. “Anchored Through the Storms of 21st Century Policing”
An exploration of NYPD retreat traditions, ethical leadership, affirmation, resilience, fraternity and the enduring human foundations that strengthen those who serve.
 
2. “The Moral Courage Behind the Uniform”
 
An examination of character, conscience and ethical leadership as enduring foundations of 21st-century policing.
 
3. “The NYPD Shield of Courage Continues the Mission”
 
A reflection on sacrifice, family, service and the enduring responsibility carried by those who wear the NYPD shield.
 
Chronology of Vincent J. Bove Law Officer Articles
 
The complete chronology of Vincent J. Bove’s published Law Officer articles, reflecting his continuing work in ethical leadership, public trust, resilience, morale and the evolving responsibilities of law enforcement.
 

Photographs

1. Dali at FDNY Ladder 4

During a family visit to FDNY Ladder 4, “The Pride of Midtown,” Vincent J. Bove’s grandson, Dali, who was visiting from China, is welcomed by members of the firehouse. For Bove, the moment represents the continuing connection between those who gave their lives on September 11, those who serve today, and the generation that will inherit their example.

Photo: Vincent J. Bove for Reawakening America LLC, May 10, 2026.

2. NYPD at the 9/11 Memorial

NYPD officers stand in solemn formation at the 9/11 Memorial in remembrance of those who were lost on September 11, 2001. The memorial remains a place where the sacrifice of the fallen and the continuing responsibility of those who serve converge.

Photo: NYPD, September 11, 2025. Public domain.

3. FDNY 343

FDNY members carry the 343 banner during the Veterans Day Parade on Fifth Avenue in New York City, honoring the firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to others.

Photo: Vincent J. Bove for Reawakening America LLC, November 11, 2011.

Buffalo Supermarket: Racially Motivated Hate Crime Claims Ten Lives, Issues and Resources

Let us first pause to honor the senseless loss of life in Buffalo, New York and all effected by this horrendous act of violence.

We hold them in prayer along with their families, as well as those injured today.  

We thank God for the courageous response of law enforcement and all first responders who prevented additional loss of life, and ask for healing for all influenced by this heartbreaking tragedy.

Buffalo police identified the victims as follows:

     • Roberta A. Drury, 32, of Buffalo

     • Margus D. Morrison, 52, of Buffalo 

     • Andre Mackneil, 53, of Auburn, New York

     • Aaron Salter, 55, of Lockport, New York

     • Geraldine Talley, 62, of Buffalo

     • Celestine Chaney, 65, of Buffalo

     • Heyward Patterson, 67, of Buffalo

     • Katherine Massey, 72, of Buffalo

     • Pearl Young, 77, of Buffalo

     • Ruth Whitfield, 86, of Buffalo

     • Zaire Goodman, 20, of Buffalo, was treated and released from hospital

     • Jennifer Warrington, 50, of Tonawanda, New York, was treated and released from hospital

     • Christopher Braden, 55, of Lackawanna, New York, had non-life threatening injuries

Racially Motivated Hate Crime

Law enforcement authorities have stated that the shooting in Buffalo, New York that claimed ten lives is a racially motivated hate crime.

In light of this tragedy, noted below are some resources with connecting links from some of my published works, and from official government sites. 

These are shared to assist with understanding the issue and responding as necessary to protect American communities.

FBI Hate Crimes / FBI Website    

Excerpt: Defining a Hate Crime

“A hate crime is a traditional offense like murder, arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias. For the purposes of collecting statistics, the FBI has defined a hate crime as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.” Hate itself is not a crime—and the FBI is mindful of protecting freedom of speech and other civil liberties.”

America's Warning: Hatred Fully Transparent in Charlottesville

Excerpt:

Months before the violence was unleashed on Aug. 12 in Charlottesville, Virginia, resulting in the tragic loss of innocent life and senseless injuries, members of the intelligence community gave warning to an emerging threat.

In a Joint Intelligence Bulletin (JIB) dated May 10, 2017, the JIB provided “insight into the targeting preferences of white supremacist extremists and the state of white supremacist extremism in the United States.”

America's Mass Shooter Crisis Demands Police-Community Unity

Excerpt:

"Let us have it seared into our souls that America must build bridges between the police and community.  Only this unity will serve as the antidote to the venom of violence that has infected communities throughout the nation."

Mass Shootings, Police Fatalities: America’s Culture of Trauma

Excerpt:

"Violence has been unleashed in America, as video allows us to witness horrific mass shooting incidents and reprehensible killings of law enforcement officials.

"The pervasiveness of violence has no end in sight and every community, citizen, and police officer is a potential victim.

"The antidote to this culture of trauma is police-community unity, indispensable to the security of our society.

"Citizens and law enforcement must unite and turn the tide of this culture of trauma. America’s healing will only be possible with ethical leadership, unwavering collaboration, and moral courage. We must vigilantly work together for the common good."

Quick Look: 277 Active Shooter Incidents in the United States From 2000 to 2018

The FBI Encourages the Public to Report Hate Crimes

Excerpt:

"The FBI is engaged in a nationwide effort to build public awareness of hate crimes and encourage reporting to law enforcement.

"Hate crimes are the highest priority of the FBI’s civil rights program because of the devastating impact they have on families and communities. Hate crimes are not only an attack on the victim—they are meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community."

America’s Active Shooter Tragedies: Protecting Our Schools

Excerpt

"During my presentation, I took the approach of prevention. My focus included the importance of effectively responding to warning signs, security vulnerability assessments as more comprehensive than surveys, school resource officers, police-community partnerships, situational awareness, student empowerment, academic excellence, teacher and staff training, and the preventive pedagogy of education. 

"This pedagogy is critical for American schools as it enhances trust, builds bridges with all members of the school community, and fosters a vigilant, active, and respected presence by staff in the school community."

Protecting America’s Houses of Worship, Schools, Facilities: A National Model

Excerpt

"A robust security program must be comprehensive, proactive, and continually updated. Security must never be piecemeal, negligent, or have its importance minimized.

"Approaches to security in houses of worship, as well as in workplaces, schools, campuses, and facilities, must include the insights within the link noted above."

About the Author

Vincent J. Bove, CPP, is a national speaker and author on issues critical to America with over 300 published works. 

His most recent books are Reawakening America and Listen To Their Cries. 

Bove is recipient of the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award and former confident of the New York Yankees.  He is co-founder of Global Security Resolutions, and served as spokesperson for a coalition of Virginia Tech tragedy families of victims.  Bove has authored 17 cover stories for The Chief of Police.

For twenty years, he has been a Board Certified Protection Professional (CPP), Board Certified Crime Prevention Specialist, Certified Police Training Commission Instructor, Crime Prevention Practitioner, and USDOJ Certified Community Anti-Terrorism Instructor Trainer.  

Bove is also a licensed State of New Jersey / Division of State Police SORA Instructor.

Photos:

1. Cover story by Vincent J. Bove, The Chief of Police, Fall 2017, Vol. XXXII, No. 3.

2. Vincent J. Bove Reawakening America Book and pics of his presentation, PHAMA event, Champion, PA, Oct. 20, 2017. (Photo Credit: Lily Bove)

Note Well:

Linkedin: Vincent J. Bove, Reawakening America LLC

twitter: vincentjbove

Facebook: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

A Reflection on the Holocaust, Part I of III

As we approach International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, 2021 to remember the millions of innocent victims murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators, we must pause and reflect.

Our reflection must include action, according to each of our circumstances in life, to insure that the world never forget the truth of what happened because of hate.

We must also remember that hate and extremism, as manifested during our Capitol riots, is an ever present danger that can ignite catastrophic events.

Aware of this danger, let us proceed with an integration of recent realities of hate, here in America, so that we may unite together as light to vanquish the darkness of hate.

The Toxic Virus of Hatred

In numerous of my published works on the Holocaust including my Nov. 24, 2017 article Bigotry, Prejudice, Racism: America’s Toxic Virus, the consequences of hate were addressed. 

This article was a wake-up call because “a virus proliferated by hate is infecting our country.”

The Charlottesville Warning

In another article, America’s Warning: Hatred Unleashed in Charlottesville on Aug. 16, 2017, I cited the FBI/DHS Joint Intelligence Bulletin (JIB) of May 10, 2017.

The JIB provided “insight into the targeting preferences of white supremacist extremists and the state of white supremacist extremism in the United States.”

The perspective of the JIB report, which I stressed in this article, was that white supremacist extremism through lethal violence will continue.

My article also stressed my opinion – lethal violence by white supremacists was emboldened by Charlottesville and “we must prepare ourselves for additional eventualities from white supremacists motivated by hate.”

The article also stressed that “the lessons we must learn from Charlottesville, especially since other demonstrations empowered by the event are forthcoming, is that America must work collaboratively against hatred to prevent additional violence and division.”

Hatred at the Capitol

The eventualities of white supremacists attacks were memorialized in these published works. It was a preview to their criminality as instigators of hate, sedition, and insurrection during the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.

The Capitol attack was not only a manifestation of the hatred documented in my articles, but it was a reminder of a work I authored 36 years ago.  This was in May, 1985, when I completed a treatise as part of the requirements for a Master of Art degree.

This treatise crystalized a catastrophic event in human history, but it also memorialized a warning for the consequences of hatred.

The treatise was written before the Internet and easy digital documentation. So now, I feel the responsibility of publishing it in The Sentinel.  This is for the service of education, warning, my dedication to  Roman Catholic theology, and that the world never forget the Holocaust.

It is hopeful that this article will be a reminder that we must never forget the Holocaust, and the consequences of hate.

Scriptural Reflections on the Holocaust, Part I of III

The Psalms, particularly the Psalms of lamentation, deal extensively with suffering and adversaries.

In these laments, there is a close association between form and substance, determined by various circumstances and intentions.

The people oppressed by the adversary are in distress and turn to God for help, knowing that his might, power, and faithfulness to the covenant has vindicated them in the past.

They have experienced his wrath for their sinfulness, yet, they have also experienced his benefits.

The people lament for God has turned away from them.  He has hidden his face and they wonder why and for how long. 

They cry unto him, place their distress before him with humility, and seek to rouse his compassion by touching his heart.

The people must make recompense for whatever they have done to displease God.  They must seek reconciliation by confessing their sinful behavior.  God is almighty and can do all things while his people can do nothing without him.

These human and religious thoughts and reactions are the basis for the springing up on the lament, a call to God for help in a particular circumstance. [i]

Since the lament is a chief category of the Psalms, it would do us well to examine it a little more carefully.

Even in the opening of the lament, there is an invocation of the name of God, a prayerful turning to him with the imperative word following: “Hear us!”, “Listen to my voice,” or right out, “Give me my right, O Lord. [ii]

The Psalms make it clear that Israel is aware of whom she must turn to.[iii]

Frequently, some hymnal attributes are added once the name of God has been mentioned in the lament.  These attributes contain an appeal based on the close relationship between God and his people, to his power and willingness to help.[iv]

Psalms of Lament

First, the invocation is immediately followed by a pleas for help:

“O God, do not remain unmoved; be not silent O God, and be not still.”[v]

Secondly, to the invocation are added hymnal words which appeal to Yahweh for help:

“O Shepherd of Israel, hearken, O guide of the flock of Joseph!  From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth before Epharim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Rouse your power and come to save us.”[vi]

Thirdly, the invocation may immediately be followed by the plaintive question:

“Why O God have you cast us off forever?  Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?[vii]

Yet, the invocation may be missing and the Psalm start with the lament (a description of the conduct of the enemies and evildoers) which has the form of an accusation directed against the gods of those who oppress.[viii]

There are personal laments which are complaints against deadly adversaries which seek to destroy the life of the suppliant, and there are the national laments which attack the enemies and evildoers.[ix]

These national laments belong to the days of humiliation and prayer, proclaimed in the ancient world or special circumstances of crisis such as defeat in war, attack, and ravaging by external enemies.[x]

The background of such a national psalm of lament has definite historical value for the enemies are historically real as expressed by those nations who have attacked Israel:

“Yet, they consult with one mind, and against you they are allied.  The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelite’s, Moab and the people of Hagar, Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek, Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre: the Assyrians too are leagued with them; they are the forces of the sons of Lot.”[xi]

The aim of the national psalms of lament which deal with historical oppression are to strike at the root of disaster.  They are prayers of great confidence in God who is trusted to do great things.  God is trusted to interfere, for the laments are not magical formulas but true prayers to God who shall hear the cry of his people and vindicate them from the malice of the enemies and evildoers:[xii]

“Let the malice of the wicked come to an end, but sustain the just, O searcher of heart and soul, O just God.  A shield before me is God, who saves the upright of heart; a just judge is God, a God who punishes day by day.  Unless they be converted, God will sharpen his sword.  He will bend and aim his bow, prepare his deadly weapons against them, and use fiery darts for arrows.[xiii]

The Pleas of the Congregation

The congregation pleads in their prayers to God for help form the evildoers, those who are sinners, and from the enemies who are deceitful, oppressors, wicked, evildoers, sorcerers, fools, faithless, robbers, lions, and vipers of venom.  The congregation is at odds with these enemies and evil doers, yet it admits its sinfulness, humbles itself, and does penance.  Therefore, we have the penitential lament which expresses sinfulness and humility:[xiv]

“Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to save us, for we are brought very low.  Help us, O God our Savior, because of the glory of your name; Deliver us and pardon us for your name’s sake.”[xv]

Although the people do express their sinfulness and humbly ask for God’s help against the enemies, the question is rightly asked, who are the enemies?  Presumably, the enemies and evildoers vary according to the psalmist who talks about them.  Of course, the enemies of the king are identified with those who are enemies of his nation.  But, the role of the enemies played throughout the Psalms is difficult to explain.  Yet, the psalmist’s description of enemies is to be examined.[xvi]

The enemies are generally referred to as evil doers.  Often, they are more specifically referred to as false witnesses, as insolent, as persecutors, proud, and bloodthirsty men.  In the figurative, the candidates for enemies are referred to as roaring beasts, lions, or bulls.[xvii]  Although these are merely allusions to those who are enemies and evildoers, the problem of explicitly knowing who they are is not clear cut for there is little evidence. [xviii]

We have shared some historical background on the psalms of lamentation as understood in their actual setting (sitz im leben).  Also, we have looked at the form and content of these psalms as well sought to understand the concept of enemies and evildoers. Now, with this background information, we are now ready to explore a contemporary setting for lamentation which expressed itself through the tragedy of the Holocaust.

A Time for Reflection

“A philosopher has written that language breaks down when one tries to speak about the Holocaust.  Our words pale before the frightening spectacle of human evil unleashed upon the world, and before the awesome numbers of suffering, the sheer weight of its numbers – eleven million innocent victims exterminated – six million of them Jews.  But, we must strive to understand, we must teach the lessons of the Holocaust, and most of all, we ourselves must remember.[xix]

During the last few months {written in 1985}, personal studies on the tragic event of the Holocaust have made a profound impression on my life.  The stark realities of the terrifying barbarity which took place in the lives of 11 million atrociously slaughtered men, women, and children is a nightmare.

Months of reflection and study on a catastrophic event in world history has made me realize these atrocities must be known by every human being.

The Holocaust was an historical reality that must never be forgotten.  It must remain known to all peoples in every time and place.  The world must be aware of the devastating cruelty that can be ignited whenever the seeds of hatred are allowed to be cultivated by unchecked power, prejudice, and bigotry.

May We Forever Remember

One of the most renowned authorities on the Holocaust, Elie Wiesel, shares this thought:

“Our professional conviction is that anyone who does not actively, constantly engage in remembering and making others remember (the Holocaust) is an accomplice of the enemy.  Conversely, anyone who opposes the enemy must take the side of his victims and communicate their tales, tales of solitude and despair, tales of silence and defiance.[xx]

Image the evil which has taken place between the Holocaust years of 1933-1944; eleven million slaughtered human beings have had their innocent blood spilled without mercy.

May God forbid that this barbarism remain only a memory on the pages of history.  The Holocaust must be remembered in the reflective minds, and the compassionate hearts of all peoples who seek the cause of truth, justice, and unity among all nations.  It must be mandatory curriculum in our schools, as it is an historical reality, and a lesson on the consequences of intolerance, hate, and diversity - all elements of character education which needs revitalization in American schools. 

There are numerous photographs and writings which explicitly illustrate the horrors that took place during the Holocaust. Careful reflection on various photographs and writings have given me a vivid impression of the horrors that took place.

During my time of Holocaust studies I have reflected on hundreds of depictions of atrocities.  Along with these illustrations, I have meditated on verses from Sacred Scripture which give insight to accompany the illustrations.

The verses from the Word of God have placed the photographs and essays into a perspective which further sharpens the sobering reality of the Holocaust.

And since Sacred Scripture does not deal lightly with afflictions, sufferings, persecution and various evils, the reality is vividly expressed.

God continually speaks to His people through Sacred Scriptures.  Therefore, I would like to share some Sacred Scripture verses, along with personal reflections on different Holocaust scenes depicted in the items that I have reflected upon.  My purpose in this study will be twofold: first, as a prayerful work dedicated to the memory of Holocaust victims who must never be forgotten.

Second, to emphasize through Scripture reflection and study, the profoundly detailed way by which God’s Word expresses the evils which befall mankind. The purpose of these reflections and Scripture passages is not to give answers to the various evils that will be explored.  The purpose of this work is to express the reality of evil that the Sacred Scriptures explicitly reveal.

“Be on your guard against false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but underneath are wolves on the prowl.  You will know them by their deeds.”[xxi]

If civilization were ever to receive the warning of Christ against false prophets, Adolph Hitler’s deeds certainly proved him to be a false prophet.  His anti-Semitism was the most destructive weapon in his propaganda tactics which sought to uphold German purity while destroying the Jews whom he considered the enemy of the state.

Adolph Hitler believed that destruction of the Jewish people would preserve the German race from impurities, while also giving his Nazi state tremendous political and economic power.  Therefore, Hitler sought to destroy the Jewish people through deeds of book burnings, temple destructions, mockery, and forced labor which developed into heinous murders, tortures, and the death camps as an attempt to totally annihilate Jewry in Europe.

Christ’s warning against false prophets most likely dealt with those who claimed to have a new revelation rather than with false teachers or political leaders.  But, ironically, Hitler, who became to be a Christian also claimed to be a prophet as noted in these words of his:

“In my life I have often been a prophet and most of the time I have been laughed at.  During the period of my struggle for power, it was the first instance the Jewish people that received with laughter my prophecies that someday I would take over the leadership of the state and thereby of the whole people, and that I would among other things solve the Jewish problem.  I believe that in the meantime that hyenic laughter of the Jews of Germany has been smothered in their throats.  Today, I want to be a prophet once more: if international finance Jewry inside and outside of Europe should succeed once more in plunging nations into another world war, the consequence will not be the bolshevization of the earth and thereby the victory of the Jews, but the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe.[xxii]

Even with a shallow understanding of photo analysis, an observer can sense the intensity of hostility, violence, and hatred coming from the core of photographs of Hitler, as well as from his writings and speeches.  History has proven that he was a violent, angry and hate filled man.  This is expressed through his deeds.

Adolph Hitler was a man with a demonic desire for power despite any obstacles, even the deaths of millions of lives.

 The Mockery of the Innocent

“He who mocks the poor blasphemes his maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.”[xxiii]

The above verse from Wisdom Literature is appropriate as I mediate on a photo of S.S. men amusing themselves by mocking a Jewish man.  They surround him and laugh despicably while watching him try to sit up in the street where he is being tormented.

The S.S. men have beaten this man mercilessly with punches and kicks.  They are spitting on him while laughing demonically.

These S.S. men, the elite guardsmen of the Nazi party are enjoying one of their daily tortures against the Jews whom they hate with a passion.  It must be remembered that the S.S. swore to be loyal to Adolph Hitler unconditionally.  They were Hitler’s puppet henchmen who carried out with barbaric intensity the Fuhrer’s desire to destroy the Jews.  The S.S. served Hitler throughout the Reich and were depraved masters of torture and cruelty in the Nazi death camps.

What went on in the mind of the Jew being mocked by these sadistic S.S. troops?  Did he want to fight back despite any hope against his outnumbered tormentors? Did he cry out to God for assistance and hear the response of the S.S. insult him while cutting off his beard with the words, “God does not answer the prayers of the Jews.  Or did the mocked man echo the words of Scripture with a prayer from the heart, “Hear my prayer O Lord, to my cry give ear, to my weeping be not deaf.”[xxiv]

A Reflection on the Holocaust, Part II of III

A Reflection on the Holocaust, Part III of III

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, pray for us.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us.

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[i] Mowinckel, Sigmund, The Psalms in Israel’s Worship, Nashville: Abingdon, 1962) p. 194.

[ii] Psalm 80: 8

[iii] Mowinckel, p. 195.

[iv] Mowinckel, p. 195.

[v] Psalm 83: 2 (all Scripture passages, New American Bible)

[vi] Psalm 80: 2-3

[vii] Psalm 74:1

[viii] Mowinckel, p. 196

[ix] Gerstenberger, Erkard, “Enemies and Evildoers in the Psalms: A Challenge to Christian Preaching, “Horizons in Biblical Theology 4, #2 (1982) p. 64.

[x] Mowinckel, p. 193, 197.

[xi] Psalm 83: 6-9.

[xii] Mowinckel, p. 202-203.

[xiii] Psalm 7: 10-14.

[xiv] Mowinckel, p. 211-213.

[xv] Psalm 79, 8-9.

[xvi] Sabourin, Leopold, The Psalms (New York, Alba House, 1970) p. 114.

[xvii] Sabourin, p. 115.

[xviii] Sabourin, p. 116.

[xix] President Jimmy Carter, International Holocaust Day, Apr. 24, 1979.

[xx] Elie Wiesel, “The Holocaust as Literary Imagination,” Dimensions of the Holocaust, (Illinois: Northwestern University Press, 1977) p. 16.

[xxi] Matthew 16: 15-16.

[xxii] Adolph Hitler, speech, January 30, 1939

[xxiii] Proverbs 17: 15.

[xxiv] Psalm 39:13.

About the Author

Vincent J. Bove, CPP, is a national speaker and author on issues critical to America.  Bove is recipient of the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award and former confident of the New York Yankees.  He served as spokesperson for a coalition of victim’s families of the Virginia Tech tragedy. He is the author of 275 published works, including 15 cover stories for The Chief of Police.  His most recent books are Reawakening America and Listen To Their Cries. For more information see www.vincentbove.com or twitter @vincentjbove 

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Note Well: Due to the passage of time, photo's originally reflected on for the 1985 article, are not used but substitutes that also reflect the horror of the Holocaust.

Photos - Due to the passage of time, photo's originally reflected on for the 1985 thesis are not used, but substitutes that also reflect the horror of the Holocaust.

1.     White nationalists bearing torches converge on the grounds of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville on Aug. 11, 2017. (Edu Bayer—The New York Times/Redux)

2.      A man wearing a garment that reads, “Camp Auschwitz” and “Work Brings Freedom,” is pictured in an image made from ITV News video on Jan. 6, 2020, during the riot in the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

3.  Surrounded by the historic significance of Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and the New York Skyline is the Liberation Monument by Natan Rapaport.  This inspirational statue depicts a World War II American Soldier carrying a survivor from a concentration camp.  The image moves the soul to reflect in the values of compassion, character, and community.

4.      “In the photo, a large group of jovial young soldiers towers above a traditionally dressed Jewish man, almost completely surrounding him. In the left foreground, one young man, hands on his hips, turns his head to regard the photographer with a smirk, inviting him to witness the fun. The grinning faces of the soldiers belie the obvious enjoyment they are taking from inflicting such humiliation on the Jewish man trapped in the center. His stoical facial expression is harder to decipher, but his body language is not – his left hand is clenched into a tight fist, his body is stiff, his shoulders are hunched. His tormenters are clearly posing for the photographer, laughing, as – scissors in hand – they cut off his beard, and dangle his shorn hair from their fingers. The photo depicts a quintessential act of bullying, the mob mentality, and the power of many against one. The Jewish victim is rendered voiceless, powerless, a mere object of amusement. The photographer is clearly one of the crowd as his comrades pose and smile for his lens.” (Photo Credit and Description: Vad Yasham, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center)