Ten
Septembers have come and gone since that awful morning. But on this 10th
anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we are summoned once more to honor those we
lost by keeping our country strong and true to their memory.
Over the
coming days, we will remember nearly 3,000 innocent victims - fathers and
mothers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters who were simply going about
their daily lives on a beautiful Tuesday morning. And we’ll talk to our
children about what happened on that day, and what’s happened since.
Like
every American, I’ll never forget how I heard the terrible news, on the car
radio on my way to work in Chicago. Yet like a lot of younger Americans, our
daughters have no memory of that day. Malia was just 3; Sasha was an infant. As
they’ve grown, Michelle and I faced the same challenge as other parents in
deciding how to talk with our children about 9/11.
One of
the things we've told them is that the worst terrorist attack in American
history also brought out the best in our country. Firefighters, police and
first responders rushed into danger to save others. Americans came together in
candlelight vigils, in our houses of worship and on the steps of the U.S.
Capitol. Volunteers lined up to give blood and drove across the country to lend
a hand. Schoolchildren donated their savings.
Communities,
faith groups and businesses collected food and clothing. We were united, as
Americans.
This is
the true spirit of America we must reclaim this anniversary - the ordinary
goodness and patriotism of the American people and the unity that we needed to
move forward together, as one nation.
Indeed,
the last decade has been a challenging one for our country. But we have also
seen the strength of the United States- in cities that have refused to give in
to fear; in communities that have persevered through hard economic times; and,
above all, in our men and women in uniform and their families who have borne an
extraordinary burden for our security and our values.
The
perpetrators of those attacks wanted to terrorize us, but they are no match for
our resilience. Today, our country is more secure and our enemies are weaker.
Yet while we have delivered justice to Osama bin Laden and put al-Qaeda on the
path to defeat, we must never waver in the task of protecting our nation.
On a day
when others sought to destroy, we choose to build. Once again, Sept. 11 will be
a National Day of Service and Remembrance, and at Serve.gov every American can
make a commitment to honor the victims and heroes of 9/11 by serving our
neighbors and communities.
Finally,
on a day when others tried to divide us, we can regain the sense of common
purpose that stirred in our hearts 10 years ago. As a nation, we face difficult
challenges, and as citizens in a democratic society we engage in vigorous
debates about the future.
But as we
do, let's never forget the lesson we learned anew 10 years ago - that our
differences pale beside what unites us and that when we choose to move forward
together, as one American family, the United States doesn’t just endure, we can
emerge from our tests and trials stronger than before.
That’s
the America we were on 9/11 and in the days that followed.
That’s
the America we can and must always be.
President
Barack Obama
