Working from Wisdom and Power

The September 11 disaster bears some similarity to the London blitz of WWII. Over an eight-month period from 1940–41, Luftwaffe planes bombed the city almost every day and night, killing more than 20,000 and leaving almost 1.5 million people homeless. The survivors remember horrors that they thought would never end, and they tell inspiring stories of how they kept their lives together, taking care of each other. And although the scars of WWII will never fade completely, the city of London endures as an example of courage and strength.

Likewise, New York retains its vitality as it adapts to a changed world. People use its airports, train stations, bus terminals, bridges, and tunnels with heightened security everywhere, undaunted but not unmindful of the bomb scares and the developing fears of bioterrorism. Nonetheless, people attend theaters and sporting events and go out to restaurants and museums, with danger never far from their thoughts. The people of New York—fearful, perhaps, but definitely and most determinedly coping—are keeping the city as alive as ever. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, leading with great courage at a time of tremendous fear and uncertainty, evokes Winston Churchill’s statement, “We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.”

Special recognition and gratitude deserve to go to New York’s truest heroes: our firefighters, who knowingly put themselves in danger every day and many of whom gave up their lives on September 11 and the days following. For the police, with whom our relations are often strained, we have a renewed awareness of and appreciation for their often thankless job of protecting us. The list is long, and includes rescue and emergency workers, medical technicians and engineering inspectors, and subway conductors who volunteered to run trains through damaged tunnels to test their safety.

We at the State Society are doing everything possible to help our members and neighbors adjust and move forward, and to help our members help their clients. The business and professional community is a strong network that is forming a myriad of partnerships to serve our constituents and fellow citizens. We know that we’re in this together and for the long haul—which will be longer than anyone anticipated immediately after the attacks and require absolutely massive amounts of communication and cooperation.

The NYSSCPA, including our chapters and committees, goes about its business, canceling as few meetings and events as possible and approaching everything with a stronger and different sense of purpose. Part of our organization’s mission has always been to lead the profession. An important part of that work is now a duty to live our day-to-day lives in such a way that we lead our profession, our city, and the world by example, both as an organization and as individuals. Part of our revised job description is to show that we believe in our city: we pursue our mission and keep our town safe as it rebuilds itself and prepares to write its next chapter.