John Cornyn: “Every generation has defining moments, moments when you know in an instant that the world as you knew it has forever…”

“Every generation has defining moments, moments when you know in an instant that the world as you knew it has forever changed. Some of these moments are cause for celebration, such as the Moon landing or the fall of the Berlin Wall. But some, like the bombing of Pearl Harbor or the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, are moments of intense grief, when the entire Nation holds its breath in shock and disbelief. The morning of September 11, 2001, was one such defining moment. Many of us closed our eyes, pleading with reality that what we saw could not be true. Many of us sat and cried, reeling from the loss of so many of our friends and neighbors. Many of us crowded into houses of worship across the country, looking for comfort and for answers. We watched as average Americans, finding extraordinary courage, became heroes. Firefighters, police officers, and other emergency personnel responded with remarkable bravery and determination, and many gave their lives so that others might live. The strength and generosity of ordinary Americans was the sole bright spot on that dark day. But what defines our generation is not just what we do in such moments but what we do the next day, and the next week, and the next year.”