Someone intended to bring the United States to its knees, and they’ve tried and tried before. It didn’t work. What happened instead is that the world has been brought to its feet. Decent, civilized, freedom-loving people everywhere, on every continent, and especially in the United States, did not back down. Instead, they came forward — to rescue, to secure, to offer help, to give blood, to pray, to console, to do whatever necessary.
Before the extent of the damage and the casualties can even begin to be known, a solid, united and positive resolve has emerged — a resolve that we will not allow such evil to prevail.
We are vulnerable, yet we are much less vulnerable than we were two days ago. Because now we truly understand and appreciate that vulnerability, and we have the unshakable resolve to do something about it.
That resolve has come at a horribly high price, a price that we will continue to pay for a long time to come. And that’s all the more reason that we must, and will, employ that resolve in the service of maintaining and expanding freedom, decency, and respect for life.
On this day after, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Let us pay them the highest honor by becoming ever stronger and by using our strength in the service of peace and freedom.