9/11′s Third Anniversary

Today is the third anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Take some time today to remember just what happened that day and what it means to you today. Pay a visit to this site and spend some time looking around.

Has it faded out of your memory? I admit that it’s far from being as sharp to me today as it was then. I don’t know that I’m unusual in that regard. Maybe it’s the same for you, too.

We’re going to see more than one show over the weekend on the attacks, and it’s my bet that most of them will concentrate of paying tribute to those who were murdered that day. That’s a fine thing and I’m glad for it. We ought to remember them for a very long time and the heroes of that day, the men and women of the police and fire departments both living and dead – officers, firefighters, rescue personnel, and dispatchers – deserve our gratitude for the thousands of lives they saved.

But one of the things I want you to remember is who killed those thousands of people that day. I want you to remember, as I will remember, that those people have not stopped trying to kill us even today. They have not given up their planning and plotting. They have steadily killed hundreds of people in places like Indonesia, Spain, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, and Russia as early as this week. Just a couple of days ago, al-Qaeda released a videotape saying nothing more than that they were still around and operating. Terrorist groups hold hostages from other countries right now, threatening to slaughter them if their demands aren’t met.

September 11 was not the only attack our nation has suffered at the hands of these desperate murderers and it will certainly not be the last. That’s something worth remembering, too, because as the days slide by without an attack here in the States, it will be very easy to forget that the terrorists are still trying. Already, we have a presidential candidate whose campaign is built in part on the notion that many of you have forgotten that very thing. But regardless of what you may hear, the prospect of terrorists killing more people here is as real as it was on September 12, 2001. Some would accuse me of peddling fear. That may be true. I think a certain amount of fear is healthy. Fear keeps us sharp. Fear is what kept your ancestors out of the mouths of predators. Fear helped save the world from tyranny in two world wars.

But fear was not the only thing at work, and it’s not the only thing that motivates me. Yes, I fear another terrorist attack. But I know that as long as I am determined, and demand the same determination from my government the chance that I or someone I love will die in a terrorist attack is much, much smaller.

That is something I will also remember today. There is an election. One candidate believes that we ought to proceed with healthy fear and stubborn determination. The other does not. That is what seems most important to me today.

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Category: General