the first patriots of the 21st century

we all remember where we were and how we heard about the attacks on the world trade centers and pentagon. our shock, anger, disbelief and horror. but we also need to remember our pride.

i think about the firemen and police who rushed in as others ran out. the ordinary citizens who helped one another to safety. the priest killed by a jumper from the towers as he comforted the injured and administered the last rights to the dead. and the travelers of FLIGHT 93, who surmised their preplanned fate at the hands of the hijackers, and fought back.

they embodied the spirit of AMERICA, and from them, through their actions,we can draw strength. it was the minute men of 1776 that gave us the tradition of citizens defending our republic, and so it was on 9-11.

what is our responsibility going forward? to remember their sacrifice. to tell our children that it was practitioners of the" religion of peace", that carried out these attacks. members of the same religion who the U.S. supplied and trained to fight soviet aggression in afghanistan. who we defended from saddam husseins attack on kuwait and feared attack on saudi arabia. the same members of the" religion of peace", we defended from ethnic cleansing in bosnia.

teach your kids that as a result of failing to respond to the attack on the USS Cole, the embassy bombings in kenya and tanzania, and the first world trade center attack, we led our enemies to believe we were weak, further emboldening them.

tell them that these men and women believed an age old saying about Americans and what America stands for, that we would rather DIE ON OUR FEET THAN LIVE ON OUR KNEES. last and certainly not least, remember those still deployed and our veterans. they continue to take the fight to the enemy, and have kept us free from attack since 9-11.



TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS. REMEMBER.