PROVIDENCE – Today, we remember, honor and pray for the more than 3,000 American heroes who lost their lives in the tragedy that occurred at the Word Trade Center, the Pentagon, and on a field in Pennsylvania, on the morning of September 11, 2001.
They died precisely because they shared a collective identity; they lived on American soil; they were bound together by the US Constitution; and they served as testimony to the most fundamental and universal value of human freedom.
Today, we remember, honor and express our gratitude to those American heroes who stood in the midst of tragedy and worked arduously to clear the area from rubble to recover the bodies of those whose lives were lost simply for being Americans.
Today, we remember, honor and display our pride to the flag of the United States of America, and to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces, to those who have lost their lives in our service, and those who continue fighting for that symbol of human freedom and Democracy in far away places.
Today, we remember and express our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families and friends of our fallen American heroes. We have all been touched by this tragedy, and this tragedy continues to affect our lives each and every day. For example, my friend is still deeply affected today by the loss of the life of his assistant who died in the airplane that crashed into the Pentagon.
During his annual message to Congress on December 1, 1862, Abraham Lincoln asserted, “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise – with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew.”
Although we will never forget the indelible images of the planes flying into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and seeing those American icons crumbling down, we must remain resilient, steadfast, display good faith, and resolutely act to champion the cause of freedom so that one day every child growing up in the world can learn what is like to live united in freedom. Please take a moment today to bow your head in remembrance. God Bless America.
###
