"A Duty Beyond Memory"
As we commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11 -- along with remembering the courage of our soldiers, police, firemen and "ordinary Americans" -- it's worth pausing for a moment of gratitude for the way that President Bush responded to the vicious attacks on America.
More than we perhaps realize, I think all of us leaned heavily on the President's deep and unequivocal religious faith. Steeped in images of senseless horror and suffering, we were nonetheless comforted by President Bush's resolve even in the midst of his own obvious grief.
As he pointed out in his Shanksville address, this 9/11 (and every 9/11), each American has a "duty beyond memory." I see it as an obligation to strive for an America that is worthy, in policy and deed, of the sacrifices so many willingly made on this day.
President Bush pointed out that "evil is real, and so is courage." Hatred is real, and so is love. And wherever there is the kind of evil, suffering and grief of the sort we saw on 9/11, God will be with us in its midst -- whether He is acknowledged or not.
May God bless America, today and always.