Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, this is an emotional time for this country and an emotional time for this body. All of us have participated in events in our communities, tributes to the victims and their families in New York and the Pentagon, and that is right and proper. But I want to take this opportunity on this first Patriot Day to look forward, to remember and pause and reflect on why they envy us so, why the terrorists hate us so. What is it that would cause them to bring about the death and destruction of so many innocent lives, so many hopes and dreams shattered, so many communities who have lost church members, PTA officers, rotary club presidents, chamber directors, so many children who have lost a parent? They despise the fact that we stand for freedom; that we represent all that is great, all that is tolerant and hopeful and helpful and strong about communities. They misunderstood us. They thought we were no stronger than the celluloid films that come out of Hollywood; that we would buckle and cave, that we would wither up and shrink from the fight. What they did not understand was that we had an army of ordinary American citizens who would rally; who would stand in line for hours to give their blood; who would contribute their paychecks to strangers; whose children would go to schools and have penny drives and carwashes and other fund-raisers to send off to the victims, their families, and even the children in Afghanistan.”