Sylvester Turner: “Yesterday our Nation was a target of the most despicable and cowardly acts of terrorism in our history. We come here…”

“Yesterday our Nation was a target of the most despicable and cowardly acts of terrorism in our history. We come here today, our hearts heavy, with prayers for healing and comfort for the many victims and their families. The forces of darkness have broken our hearts, but they have not broken our spirit. To the contrary, those who sought to advance their cause by shedding American blood have instead sown the seeds of their own destruction. The citizens of our Nation are a proud and resilient people. For over 200 years, Americans have fought and died to protect freedom and liberty. We now face a new challenge from a faceless enemy who has absolutely no regard for the sanctity of human life. We cannot and we will not tolerate terrorism. We will find those who are responsible, and we must use the full strength of our military power against those forces of evil and those who give them aid and sanction. The spirit of America was best exemplified today by a brave New York firefighter searching through the rubble of the World Trade Center for one more survivor. He uncovered a tattered American flag, and he climbed to the top of the remains of a leaning north spire, raising the flag to express the spirit of patriotism shared by all Americans in this time of national travail. A new chapter in our history was opened yesterday.”