Ron Kind: “I too rise to remember the terrible events of September 11, to honor the victims of the attack and their families and to…”

“I too rise to remember the terrible events of September 11, to honor the victims of the attack and their families and to let them know that especially today, they do not stand alone, and to pay tribute to the heroes of that day, the passengers of Flight 93, the rescue efforts at the Pentagon and in New York City, the police officers, the firefighters, the first responders, emergency medical technicians, the health care providers. That day started with great shock and honor, Mr. Speaker; but it ended with incredible unity and a sense of resolve that those responsible would be held accountable. From the ashes of that attack arose a new sense of patriotism and a solemn pledge to never forget and to learn from that terrible day. We became unified in this Nation out of a sense of common values that we share: love of country, love of the freedom and liberties that we hold so dear, a shared sense of common vulnerability now that our splendid isolationism in the world and our sense of innocence was taken from us. That is perhaps what has made me most angry about the events of last September 11, the grief that we have to share with the families who lost loved ones, but the knowledge that my two little boys and all our children in our country will have to grow up in a 21st century with the specter of terrorism and that vulnerability hanging over their heads.”