A Letter To My Senators On 9/11

      Dear Senators Brown and Portman,
      I'm addressing this letter to both of you because I've sent a copy to each of you.
      My name is Patti Liszkay and I am a piano teacher from Gahanna, Ohio. This morning I heard on the local news that out of respect for those who died in the 9/11 attacks on our country eighteen years ago our Governor Mike Dewine had 3,000 American flags planted on the Ohio Statehouse lawn.
     The newscaster's use of the word "planted" gave me an idea.
     What if every year on 9/11, along with the thousands of flags planted across the United States on that day, our country planted 3,000 trees in honor of those who died on that day, sixty trees in each state? The Federal government could allocate the funds to each state for the planting of the trees, though it could be left to each state to choose the kind and location of the trees planted each year so that each state could have trees compatible with the climate and geography: Maybe palm trees for Hawaii, palms and redwoods for California, hardy evergreens for Alaska, deciduous trees for the Midwest, etc.  Maybe Southwestern states such as Arizona and Texas could opt for planting saguaros, or some other majestic plant that thrives better than trees in their climate.
    Perhaps funding could even be allocated for a volunteer corps dedicated gathering, planting, and caring for the 9/11 Trees.
       What better tribute could we offer our fellow Americans who died on that day than a 9/11 Tree honoring each of them, trees that would live on and multiply, year after year, offering solace to their loved ones and keeping them alive in our collective memory?
         In these troubled, divisive times would not a bill calling for the yearly planting of 9/11 Trees be legislation on which everyone on the both sides of the aisle could come together?
       I am therefore requesting, Senators Brown and Portman, that together you introduce bipartisan legislation calling for the planting of 3,000 9/11 Trees, sixty in each state, on every September 11. Perhaps you could even propose that 9/11 be declared a national holiday on which Americans could also spend the day planting a tree somewhere in their community or on their property in remembrance of those who died on that day?
          What better way to bring Americans together on this day to honor the 9/11 fallen?
          Thank you, Senators Brown and Portman,
           Patti Liszkay

  The above is the letter I sent today to my state senators. If you like the idea please feel free to suggest the same idea to your senators or representatives.