|
Print this page |
| |
|
Close this window |
U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) today issued the following statement on the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001:
On this solemn occasion in our national life, we pause with deep-seated reverence to remember and honor those who perished in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and we do so profoundly mindful of those families and loved ones whose lives have been forever altered by the heinous events of seven years ago.
At this time, we share in the grievous anguish that will always exact an unbearable toll on those convening to pay homage to family and loved ones lost at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and in the Pentagon, where today there will be a ceremony, marking the official dedication of the Pentagon Memorial which will pay tribute to the 184 lives lost in the Pentagon and on American Airlines Flight 77. Amid the arduous trial and pain that this date in our history evokes, we find mutual solace in the revelation that none of us grieves alone – that, on this day, those whom we will never know are kept in our thoughts and prayers – and that there are no strangers among us – only Americans.
While we will never escape the unspeakable horror and inconsolable devastation that this anniversary represents to each and every one of us, at the same time, we cannot help but recall the countless remembrances of the indomitable spirit of the American people, who have, time and again, demonstrated a collective resilience and resolve to battle back despite inexpressible sorrow, and who have displayed a courageous summoning of purpose to move forward in the face of wrenching desolation. And so this year, as in times past, we face the indescribable inhumanity of those dark morning hours, but we are renewed and buoyed by the unfolding story from 2001 to the present of a resurgent nation that will overcome any adversity, no matter how perilous or daunting.
And no where is that inspiration, heart, and character more prevalent than in our recollection of the heroic sacrifice and noble devotion of firefighters, police officers, and rescue workers. The fearless and selfless example of seemingly ordinary Americans performing extraordinary deeds in the service of others will serve through time immemorial as an enduring and powerful testament that good will triumph over evil – and that those benevolent forces that would seek to uplift humankind will ultimately prevail over those treacherous elements that would conspire to bring it down.
Time can never diminish the cavalcade of emotions we experience as we strive to comprehend how such vicious savagery could exist in the world and could be perpetrated so ruthlessly against innocent people. And those feelings only intensify when we put faces with names, and they become especially personal when we reflect upon the Mainers whom we have lost – Anna Allison, Carol Flyzik, Robert Jalbert, Jacqueline Norton, Robert Schlegel, James Roux, Robert Norton, and Stephen Ward. Their lives were tragically cut short, but their memory is eternally etched upon our hearts.
As we confront once again these unforgivably grave and wicked injustices, we are also gratefully sustained by the supreme service and unfailing contribution of our exceptional men and women in uniform who protect and defend our way of life. Whether on shores or soil here at home or around the globe, their steadfast sense of duty and bravery are an inspiration to us all, their commitment steels our determination, and their valor and professionalism steady our hand in an uncertain world.
Like every American, I vividly remember every detail of the morning of September 11, 2001, and how the day began with such beautiful blue skies, only to end with a nation grief-stricken and stunned in utter disbelief. In Washington, D.C., I watched the images along with the rest of the world. Later, as the sun set over the National Mall – still capped by smoke billowing from the wound in the side of the Pentagon – I joined my colleagues in the House and Senate on the Capitol steps in singing, "God Bless America."
We sang to send a message to the country and to the world that we would never be deterred – that freedom is forged by something far more resolute than any act of terror – a conviction that has only strengthened with each anniversary. While we extol those whom we have lost, we hold fast to the belief that the greatest memorial is to embrace all that we have retained as a nation from our inception – and that the principles of liberty and justice and the primacy of self-government cannot be extinguished – that we as a people will endure as long as we persevere shoulder-to-shoulder as Americans.