Cliff Stearns: “I rise today not only to commemorate the lives lost September 11, 2001, but also to celebrate the indomitable American…”

“I rise today not only to commemorate the lives lost September 11, 2001, but also to celebrate the indomitable American spirit that has been displayed since, and finally to remind our enemies that we are not finished with them. It has been a year to the date since an organization of men decided to test the resolve of the American people. With blind faith, unabashed cowardice, and intentions of terror, these men, these terrorists took the lives of over 3,000 men, women, and children. Through this evil act these men hoped to strike deep at our security, to impact the very fiber of our country's spirit. But as the towers fell, American flags rose, defying those who would attempt to shake the balance of freedom and power that we enjoy in this country. On that day the most diverse country on the planet was attacked, and from the twisted and smoldering wreckage arose the bond that has connected us all. Many claimed that we would never be the same; that an inescapable change had come over our country. On the contrary, I feel that we have changed. We are a stronger country, united in the face of tragedy. The terrorists failed to realize that there is no changing the American spirit, only revealing it. After the 11th, the spirit of America revealed itself all across this country.…”