A country reflects on 10 Septembers

Friday, September 9, 2011

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Ten Septembers have come and gone, and still the memory of that Tuesday morning in 2001 is impossible to forget. Sept. 11 is for us what Nov. 22, 1963, was for the previous generation, and what Dec. 7, 1941, was for the generation before that: A day so starkly terrible that it imprinted itself in our memory like a photograph.

You still remember where you were and what you were doing that Tuesday morning when you heard the news, and always will.

We are preparing to mark the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks we now know simply as 9/11. We remember the innocent people trapped at their desks in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the brave first-responders who put their own lives at risk to rescue others, and the heroic passengers of United Airlines Flight 93, whose resistance quite likely spared the White House or U.S. Capitol building from attack.

In all, nearly 3,000 people were murdered that day. Ten of the victims were from New Hampshire. As we observe the 10th anniversary of the attacks, we must make sure we remember the Granite Staters who were lost that day.

A decade later, much has changed. The evil mastermind who plotted the attacks, plus several of his henchmen, are now dead. His Al-Qaeda terrorist network is severely crippled. America woke up to the threat of global terrorism that day, and although our adversaries still look for ways to strike us, thankfully we have not had another large-scale attack on U.S. soil, and we are now vigilant and focused on preventing it.

Ten Septembers later, we can also look back at the positive things that emerged from that tragic day. Do you remember the feeling of closeness that came as the entire county united and pulled together in a way we hadn’t seen since World War II? Do you remember the outpouring of patriotism as American flags suddenly appeared everywhere? Do you remember how people set aside petty differences and came together to hug and cry, to heal and recover, and to muster our resolve that something like this must never happen again? For a few weeks in the final months of 2001, there was no north or south, no liberal or conservative, no people fractioned by partisan politics or ideological factions. For one brief moment, we were all Americans. Period.

Like many of you, I wish we could return to that same spirit of unconditional cooperation as we struggle with the problems that confront our country today.

Let me repeat what I have said before: I am ready to work with anyone, in either party, who is willing to work together to help solve the challenges we face.

So we pause to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and we honor all those who died so needlessly on that day. We feel again the shock, the horror and the deep loss. We feel again the pride that came from watching the best of the American spirit in action, and we feel our hearts warmed anew by the rededication to the cause of freedom that we embraced in the aftermath of the attacks.

No terrorist weapon is strong enough to destroy our commitment to liberty; no threat of terror is strong enough to make us retreat from our commitment to our independence; no cloud of fear is dark enough to dim our faith in knowing that by working together, we can build a better tomorrow.

Ten Septembers later, the legacy of 9/11 lives within us all.

I look forward to reporting back to you in two weeks on the latest developments in Washington. Until next time, please know that I am always on your side and am actively fighting for New Hampshire’s interests in Washington.

U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta represents New Hampshire District 1 in Washington D.C. His column, “Frankly Speaking” can be read in the Merrimack Journal and Bedford Journal twice a month. He can be contacted in Washington at 1223 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515 or by phone at 1-202-225-5456. His New Hampshire office is at 33 Lowell St., Manchester, NH 03101 or 641-9536. Guinta can also be reached via e-mail by visiting https://guinta.house.gov/contact-me. You can also follow what he’s doing 24/7 on Facebook at www.facebook.com/repfrankguinta and on Twitter at @RepFrankGuinta.