[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16390]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         REFLECTIONS ON AMERICA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOSEPH M. HOEFFEL

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 9, 2002

  Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, recently, as the one-year anniversary of 
September 11 approached, I looked back over the statement I released 
the day after the attacks occurred. As I read the statement that was 
issued even as the smoke and dust still billowed over Lower Manhattan, 
the Pentagon and a field in rural Pennsylvania, I was struck by how 
easy it was to write some of the words and how difficult it was to 
write others.
  It was tremendously difficult to put into words my feelings of 
disbelief and anger over the insane acts of 19 individuals and their 
supporters. It still is. It was heart rending to try to voice the 
sorrow and sympathy I felt for the victims and their families. And 
that, too, is still difficult.
  It was not difficult, however to write the words of hope, pride and 
conviction I had for this country and its people on September 12. And, 
today, a year later, I am happy to report that the hope, pride and 
conviction were well-founded. On September 12, 2001 I wrote, in part:
  ``As I walked to work across the Capitol grounds this morning, a day 
after the attacks, I was struck as I often am by the incredible beauty 
of the U.S. Capitol building. The dome was shining a brilliant white 
against a clear blue sky on a beautiful late summer day. I realized 
that the glorious dome, such a symbol of the strength and stability of 
our country, might well have been the final target of the ill-fated 
fourth hijacked plane.
  ``The simple truth is that even if a terrorist act had destroyed the 
dome, or if a thousand terrorist acts had obliterated the entire 
capital, America would still be standing firm as it is today.''
  In the past year, we have cried and cursed. We have opened our hearts 
and our wallets. We have buried our dead and we continue to heal our 
wounded and sorrowful. We have cleared the debris and begun to rebuild. 
Our President has led, and Congress has indeed stood shoulder to 
shoulder with him in support. Our soldiers have fought bravely and we 
here at home have done what we do best--we went back to work.
  We will never again look at the world in the same way. We are sadder. 
We are wiser. We are closer. And, as I said a year ago, we are still 
standing firm. We've been through a lot. There will be tough times 
ahead, but today I have even a stronger feeling of hope, pride and 
conviction in our country and its people.
  God Bless America.

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