[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 121 (Tuesday, September 11, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            REMEMBERING 9/11

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 11, 2012

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, today our nation pauses to remember another 
September morning very much like this one, bright and sunny, which 
began as usual for most of us but ended with nearly 3000 of our 
citizens dead and our nation once again at war. As we do every year at 
this time, we remember with sorrow and sympathy the lives lost, the 
families shattered, and the sense of vulnerability many still feel. But 
we also remember the heroism of the first responders in New York City, 
Virginia and Pennsylvania, and we remember the heroism of the 
passengers of Flight 93, who saved countless others by overpowering the 
hijackers of their plane before it could cause more tragedy in 
Washington, DC.
  We also remember the determination and unity of purpose we all felt 
in the days and weeks immediately after those attacks, a determination 
that has led to the effective dismantlement of Al Qaeda and the 
imprisonment or death of those responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Our 
determination to remember can be seen in the National September 11 
Memorial and Museum, which is located on the former site of the Twin 
Towers and which we dedicated last year. Our determination to rebuild 
can be seen in the Freedom Tower, now known as One World Trade Center, 
that is steadily rising above the Manhattan skyline right next to the 
memorial and museum.
  There are no words that I or anyone else could ever speak that will 
assuage the grief and sense of loss sustained by so many, including 700 
in my district alone. What we can and must do is remember those lost 
and rededicate ourselves to rebuilding the country they loved, which in 
the end is the greatest tribute we could give them.
  Each of us may never confront a vicious hijacker, but each of us can 
confront bigotry and division even in our own communities that destroy 
our commonality of purpose. Let us hope and pray that we can find 
within each of us the kind of courage as those Americans showed that 
day.

                          ____________________