The Home of the Brave

The goal of bravery is to overcome. The goal of terrorism is to reign terror on those they wish to defeat - to instill long-term, sustained terror and to make the world a darker place. While America was attacked on 9/11 like never before, and the images of chaos and horror will haunt us forever, we will not allow our country to live in terror. We will celebrate those who overcame.

This weekend, the mother of a victim of Flight 93 said her son and others had 15 minutes to destroy a terrorist plan that was years in the making, and they did. The pride in her eyes, the strength in her voice reminds us all that on that day there were heroes. Heroes who stopped a plane from potentially destroying another symbol of America. Heroes who saved lives and gave their lives in the burning buildings. Heroes who lived to tell the story and show the terrorists America was not defeated.

Yes, evil lurks among us; we are not naive. But today is not a day to remember the sinister. Today is a day to remember the patriots, the heroes, those brave men and women who are gone and prove they are not forgotten, and to celebrate those who carry on. Ten years have passed. Memories are rekindled. Americans remain proud of our heroes, proud of our country, and proud to be called the land of the free and home of the brave.