While standing in line waiting to board a flight to New Jersey for fall break, the woman standing in front of me asked, “Have you ever heard of Entenmann’s?”

Surprised by this seemingly arbitrary question posed by a complete stranger, I expected the woman to offer me a crumb cake or a doughnut. The woman, Suzan Vitti of Dayton, N.J., introduced herself as the Entenmann’s Lady. Still confused, I scoped out her luggage to see if she carried any free cake samples. I found myself standing midway through the line to board the plane when the gate crew suspended boarding due to a ground halt at the Newark airport. During the delay, I enjoyed a pleasant encounter with Vitti, a nurse, and learned how she became the Entenmann’s Lady.

In the immediate days following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, Vitti delivered food and emergency supplies to the rescue workers in Lower Manhattan. She collected so many donations from across central New Jersey that she could not open or close the backseat windows of her car without losing items. With a large poster reading “Going to Ground Zero” taped to her back windshield, Vitti drove her first of many relief trips to New York.

Entenmann’s Bakery Outlet Store of Edison, N.J., became Vitti’s most enthusiastic sponsor, donating so many baked goods that she had to drive below the speed limit due to a heavy load. During the immediate nine months after the attack on the World Trade Center, Vitti delivered approximately 14,000 items to the search and rescue staff. In recognition of her volunteer work, the Entenmann’s Corp. proclaimed her the official “Entenmann’s Lady” in 2003.

Her website explains, “From that first day until the rescue/recovery efforts were suspended, Vitti became a welcome and familiar site at Ground Zero as she continued to make her deliveries, bandage wounds, put drops in the workers’ eyes to clear the dust, and distribute aspirin, goggles, gloves and food.”

Beyond Vitti’s selfless and tireless response to the humanitarian drama, she offered me a small window into the world of a rescue worker. She told me about an encounter with a Hasidic rabbi in Ground Zero during the middle of the night. The rabbi offered her a snack from a variety of kosher goods in his truck. Vitti, who is not Jewish, politely declined the offer even though she needed to eat.

The rabbi quickly disappeared inside his truck and miraculously emerged with a bacon cheeseburger, emphasizing that he wanted her to eat so she could continue to care for the rescue workers. A highly observant Jewish rabbi willingly broke Kashrut laws for Vitti’s own nutrition. “We are in a different world here in Ground Zero, and I want to offer you any food you will eat,” he said.

This small vignette from a chaotic time demonstrates the universal kindness, respect and camaraderie on display after the Sept. 11 attacks. Comparing such a tender and emotional interaction amid the rubble to American national discourse today vividly underscores how far we have fallen from those lofty days of unity and generosity. Among the many reasons for our bitter partisanship in the eight years since 2001, politics and unequal sacrifice immediately deserve scrutiny.

The use of force against Iraq undeniably distracted the United States from the threat posed by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Allegations of torture and human rights abuses in the context of the USA PATRIOT Act soured the national appetite for the prosecution of the wars. Divisive electoral tactics against Democrats skeptical of the war in Iraq — such as former U.S. Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia — broke the national consensus, ignited petty partisanship and blemished the sacrifices made by rescue workers at the terrorist impact zones and U.S. soldiers abroad.

While many American families suffer the continued absence of a loved one serving overseas, other families too often forget the reality of war. When the burden of military action falls so disproportionately, the civilian population quickly forgets the widespread raw pain and anger felt eight years ago.

By pure chance, I happened upon an opportunity to personally interact with a legendary rescue worker. Suzan Vitti reminded me of the reality of Sept. 11, and the responsibility of citizens to help each other in times of dire need. I can eat an Entenmann’s coffee cake to that message.

Stanton Abramson is a College senior from Raleigh, N.C. He is president of the Young Democrats of Emory.