Dick Durbin: “Mr. Sorensen said at one point in his speech something we should reflect on as we think about September 11. He said of…”

“Mr. Sorensen said at one point in his speech something we should reflect on as we think about September 11. He said of America: Our greatest strength has long been not merely our military might but our moral authority. Our surest protection against assault from abroad has been not all our guards, gates and guns or even our two oceans, but our essential goodness as a people. Our richest asset has been not our material wealth but our values. We were world leaders once--helping found the United Nations, the Marshall Plan, NATO, and programs like Food for Peace, international human rights and international environmental standards. The world admired not only the bravery of our Marine Corps but also the idealism of our Peace Corps. Mr. Sorensen's words are a reminder that if we are to win this war against those who wish us ill, those terrorists and those who use terrorism as a tactic, we need not only a strong national defense, we need strong homeland security, but we also need to project the values of America in a positive way, not just with the forming of troops in formation but also with the forming of values in countries desperate to have a future that emulates the freedoms of the United States.”