Thanks to the brave!

Who remembers what happened on February 26, 1993?

A group of terrorists linked to extremist Islamist networks detonated a truck bomb in the underground parking garage beneath the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Their goal? To bring down the tower and kill as many people as possible.

Six people died, and more than a thousand were injured.

Eight years later, on September 11, 2001, extremists hijacked planes filled with passengers and flew two of them into the North and South Towers, bringing both down. Two other planes were also hijacked. One crashed into the Pentagon. The other, headed toward Washington, D.C., was brought down in Pennsylvania after brave passengers fought back.

That day, 2,977 people were killed (not including the 19 hijackers), and more than 6,000 were injured. Countless others suffered injuries that went unreported, and many first responders continue to deal with health issues related to their service that day.

Why am I bringing this up?

While traveling in India, I noticed security was tight. We went through multiple checkpoints again and again. We even passed through security when entering our hotel and when visiting public gathering areas such as the Gateway of India.

India has also experienced devastating extremist attacks. Their response has included heightened security measures and strict border controls.

Extremists have not abandoned their goals. Evil has a way of lurking in the shadows, waiting patiently for any crack through which it can enter. We need protection.

That’s why I want to give a shout-out to the brave men and women whose job is to protect us and uphold our laws—our military, intelligence community, law enforcement agencies, homeland security organizations, emergency services, and justice system.

I am often saddened by the lack of respect shown to so many of them as they simply do their jobs. Can you imagine the level of discouragement some must feel?

Let’s show our appreciation.

Give a shout-out on social media. Take a gift card to your local police or fire station. Pay for a meal if you see first responders dining out. Or simply tell them, “Thank you for your service.”

And perhaps most importantly, pray for them and their families.

I know many of you already do these things. This post is simply to serve as a reminder—to myself and perhaps to you—of how important their work is to the safety of our communities, the protection of our families and the preservation of our great country.

**Photo is lobby of Hilton International Airport Hotel in Mumbai, India. We spent half a night there and had to go through security before entering.