Sixteen years ago a nation became a neighborhood and all Americans became New Yorkers. We remember vividly where we were, who we were with. We experienced an entire spectrum of emotion, some we didn’t know we had within.
Acts of cowardice and hate took the lives of our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, close friends and complete strangers. Acts of terror turned ordinary men and women into heroes. Some gave a lot. Some gave it all.
I remember immense sadness, a feeling of helplessness and anger I didn’t know what to do with. But what I may remember most is a sense of pride in seeing then President, George W. Bush walk among the Ground Zero heroes.
We take this day to set all of our differences aside and remember those lost sixteen years ago. Remember the acts of bravery that saved lives. Remember that under the surface we are united as Americans.
We will never forget.
