September 11, a day for remembering, a day for mourning, a day for good deeds, a day for ACTION...

This Wednesday marks the 12th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States that claimed nearly 3,000 lives.  For some of us, the horrors of that day are so ingrained in our memories that there has not been one day since then that we have not thought about it in one way or another.  If you are like me, there is just an overwhelming sadness that will not go away, and it should not go away.  We have to remember, because if we do not, we once again allow a complacency to overtake us that will mire us down in partisanship and self-interest.  That opens the window for those that would like to see us hurt again.

There will be many events and memorials on Wednesday commemorating the anniversary and honoring those lost either in the attacks themselves, or those lost in our responsive military actions against Afghanistan and Iraq.  Unions representing pilots, flight attendants and other employee groups from both United, American and many other U.S. carriers will be holding their own events across the county to remember their co-workers that were not only lost, but more importantly they come together to honor those crew members and passengers as the front-line in defending our country against the terrorists who hijacked those four planes.   September 11 is a painful reminder, but nonetheless should be at least one day for us customers and passengers to understand how vital flight attendants, pilots, customer service, ramp workers, mechanics, TSA screeners and so many others on the front lines of our airlines and in our airports, are in terms of our comfort and safety. 

Over the last 12 years, movements have sprung up that calls for September 11 to be a day of not only remembering, but a day where we do a good deed.  It is a great way to honor those that were lost and a great way to keep the day in our hearts and minds.  As I was puttering around in my garage yesterday, I got to thinking about taking this a step further.  Make September 11 a day of ACTION.  Do something that gets people thinking; do something that gets your voice heard.  For example, if you have an opinion on what the U.S. should do in terms of any military action against the Assad regime in Syria, call or e-mail your Senator, Congress person, and the White House.  Don’t just yell back at pundits on TV weighing in with their own partisan opinions, you as a citizen have the right to speak your mind directly to those who will be making any decision to act, so do it.  You can use the excuse that your voice will not be heard, but you know what, it will not be heard if you do not use it.

If you are an airline employee and you have a concern about passenger safety or comfort, you have a union, and you have a voice, use them both.  Your union leaders are there to listen, but they can only act on facts.  When an incident comes up, no matter how minor, that forces conditions upon you that are outside the scope of your contract, or more importantly present problems with the safety and comfort of passengers and crew members, take the time to make sure your union knows about it.  Urge your flying partners and associates to do the same.  Your union is powerless without the collective voice of its membership, and that all starts with one voice, your own.  You have to take action, or nothing gets accomplished.

There are so many other ways we can take action.  If you are a shareholder in a public company and do not like how management is running things, you have the right to question and you have the right to bring a voice for change.  It does not matter how few shares you may own, you have a guaranteed right to make sure you are heard by an independent Board of Directors.  If you feel that Board is not acting in the best interest of the shareholder owners, then you have a right to ask for a change to that Board.  If enough individual shareholders get involved and act, then and only then will change happen.  You cannot sit on the sidelines waiting for someone else to act.

This Wednesday, I will once again be flying to New York and back on the same day on United Airlines.  I will probably regret this on Thursday, but it will be a long day with my itinerary taking me up to San Francisco, then over to JFK airport in New York, and then back to LAX.  I will check-in at LAX at 6:00 AM, and then land at 11:30 PM that evening.  I hope I can catch a nap somewhere in there.   As I have done on other trips I will hand out some Starbucks gift cards and “More than a Co-Worker” wristbands as my way of saying thanks to those that are keeping our skies friendly.  For me it is a day of remembering, and a day for a good deed, but more importantly as a customer and shareholder, I want the front line employees at United to know they are appreciated.  Its not like the typical lip service in memos from management, it is an action that gets an important message out that there are many of us out there who appreciate the commitment of those on the front line at United, American, Delta, Southwest, US Airways and all the other U.S. carriers that get us to our destinations safely every day.