Jack Kingston: “on this day I believe we have the duty to remember all the ones who died on 9/11 and all the ones who have died in…”

“on this day I believe we have the duty to remember all the ones who died on 9/11 and all the ones who have died in Afghanistan and elsewhere as a result of this war on terrorism. As one stares at Ground Zero today, it looks like any other large building construction site in any other large city in America. There is raw dirt, a fenced perimeter, earth moving equipment going about and hard hat workers milling to and fro, and if you didn't know better you'd keep driving by. But upon close inspection, you notice all the buildings around it have brand new facades, you notice also a new bike path, you notice the road has been redone and much of the surrounding infrastructure. Then you notice another building, an historic building, that was located right next door; it's covered with soot, its windows are cracked and it's still boarded up. This building makes a quiet but solemn statement that sets the tone because as you look at this site you know that it's not just any other construction site, there is an eerie stillness about it. Rudy Giuliani has called it a cemetery but it's more than that; it's a battleground, just like Manassas or Gettysburg. A great battle has been fought here and the feeling of reverence one gets is universal. Like all Americans, I remember that morning's events. I was in Washington, D.C. As we watched in disbelief the horror of New York City, we were soon disrupted by an explosion at the Pentagon.”