September 11, 2001 changed our country forever. Ten years later, in 2011, proud Americans across the country remember what we learned on that terrible day. We learned that adversity brings out the best in us. We learned that terrorists can take lives and knock down buildings, but they cannot destroy what makes America the greatest nation on earth. We learned that heroes walk among us every day.
This year, I challenge you to keep three groups of people in your hearts, minds, and prayers. First, remember those who lost loved ones on 9/11 and in the days that followed. Ten years may seem like a long time to many of us, but for others the memories are all too vivid—and the personal pain all too real.
Second, please reflect on how you will talk about this day to our children and grandchildren. For many of our young people, 9/11 is not a memory but history.
Third, please continue to keep our troops in your prayers, along with our intelligence professionals, law enforcement officers, first responders, and all those who have dedicated their lives to keeping us safe and free. They understood the sacrifices they and their families would have to make. Let us never leave them in doubt of our gratitude.
Finally, the greatest honor we can give to those we lost is to live lives worthy of their sacrifice, to relish the freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution, and to remember that our birthright includes the pursuit of happiness.
May God bless you, and may God bless America.
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