Tomorrow marks the 17th anniversary of an unnerving day in American history and an unprecedented, devastating attack on our values — the terrorist attacks which occurred on the morning of September 11, 2001. These acts of radical terrorism took 2,977 American lives, ten of whom were Penn State alumni.

As then-President George W. Bush reminded the nation, these violent acts were far from ordinary:

“Freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward, and freedom itself will be defended…We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail,” the former President lamented while standing at ground zero.

The moral and physical strength of the United States was put to the test that day, and as President Bush called for, freedom stood strong in the face of vicious opposition. The undying unity that rang through the country on September 11, 2001, and the days immediately following, is a direct testament to the strength of the greater American resolve, which fiercely triumphed over hatred, oppression, and autocracy.

Although most of us enrolled at Penn State are too young to remember many specifics of the day, paying respects to the victims of 9/11 is still important. In fact, taking time to remember those who lost their lives at the hands of radical terrorism is a solemn obligation for every American. These deadly acts of terror were an assault on the fundamental values we hold dear. Values cemented because of those who came before us, fueled by a hatred of democracy and individual liberty.

As most who know me can attest, patriotism has always been a priority, as both a proud American and proud Republican. However, honoring American lives is a cause that all Penn Staters can unite behind and, indeed, this cause knows no partisan ideology. The lives lost on September 11, 2001 were our fellow Americans and our fellow Penn Staters, and they deserve our respect.

In light of this solemn obligation, the Penn State College Republicans will host our annual 9/11 Memorial Event at 10 a.m. Tuesday, September 11 on Old Main Lawn. As is tradition, we will place 2,977 flags on the lawn to represent one for each American life lost. I hope that all Penn Staters, regardless of political ideology, will join the College Republicans in commemorating the American lives lost at the hands of radical terrorism and hatred.

Editor’s note: The original version of this post incorrectly identified the American death toll for 9/11 and number of memorial flags as 2,996. We apologize for this error, which has since been corrected.