My generation does not have haunting memories of world wars; we have the capability to take for granted the importance of the foundations on which our nation was built. We do, however, possess an understanding of the depth to which hatred and evil can shake an individual, a family, a community, a nation.
It is not in anyone's best interest to recount for you the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001. Not the details, not the destruction and despair. The depth to which our media glorifies horrific acts haunts me more than the images themselves as they are burned into memory.
What has emerged from the aftermath of the most deadly attack on US soil is a unified nation working toward the future. Certainly there are disagreements among us. Politicians continue to argue. Morals are questioned, values are tested. Those who live in another world, a world of evil, a world of carnage and ruin would have you believe that we are worse off than before, that those horrendous acts divided us and destroyed our patriotism, our sense of justice, our individual freedoms.
Those who live in that world are wrong.
I invite you to remember and celebrate the words of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani as he described the day his city was stormed. “The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic, and religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human life. We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom.”
Thank you to all who lost a loved one on September 11, 2001. And thank you to those who dedicate their lives to the service of our country, that we may spend each day in America with the freedoms you provide.
All American Apple Pie
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