    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
    [November 8, 2001]
    [Pages 1360-1365]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Address to the Nation From Atlanta on Homeland Security
    November 8, 2001

        Thank you so very much. We meet tonight after two of the most
    difficult and most inspiring months in our Nation's history. We have
    endured the shock of watching so many innocent lives ended in acts of
    unimaginable horror. We have endured the sadness of so many funerals. We
    have faced unprecedented bioterrorist attack, delivered in our mail.
        Tonight many thousands of children are tragically learning to live
    without one of

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    their parents. And the rest of us are learning to live in a world that
    seems very different than it was on September the 10th.
        The moment the second plane hit the second building--when we knew it
    was a terrorist attack--many felt that our lives would never be the
    same. What we couldn't be sure of then and what the terrorists never
    expected was that America would emerge stronger, with a renewed spirit
    of pride and patriotism.
        I said in my speech to a Joint Session of Congress that we are a
    nation awakened to danger. We're also a nation awakened to service and
    citizenship and compassion. None of us would ever wish the evil that has
    been done to our country, yet we have learned that out of evil can come
    great good.
        During the last 2 months, we have shown the world America is a great
    nation. Americans have responded magnificently, with courage and caring.
    We've seen it in our children, who have sent in more than $1 million for
    the children of Afghanistan. We have seen it in the compassion of Jewish
    and Christian Americans who have reached out to their Muslim neighbors.
    We have seen it as Americans have reassessed priorities, parents
    spending more time with their children and many people spending more
    time in prayer and in houses of worship.
        We have gained new heroes: those who ran into burning buildings to
    save others, our police and our firefighters; those who battled their
    own fears to keep children calm and safe, America's teachers; those who
    voluntarily placed themselves in harm's way to defend our freedom, the
    men and women of the Armed Forces.
        And tonight we join in thanking a whole new group of public servants
    who never enlisted to fight a war but find themselves on the frontlines
    of a battle nonetheless: those who deliver the mail, America's postal
    workers. We also thank those whose quick response provided preventative
    treatment that has no doubt saved thousands of lives, our health care
    workers.
        We are a different country than we were on September the 10th,
    sadder and less innocent, stronger and more united, and in the face of
    ongoing threats, determined and courageous.
        Our Nation faces a threat to our freedoms, and the stakes could not
    be higher. We are the target of enemies who boast they want to kill--
    kill all Americans, kill all Jews, and kill all Christians. We've seen
    that type of hate before, and the only possible response is to confront
    it and to defeat it.
        This new enemy seeks to destroy our freedom and impose its views. We
    value life; the terrorists ruthlessly destroy it. We value education;
    the terrorists do not believe women should be educated or should have
    health care or should leave their homes. We value the right to speak our
    minds; for the terrorists, free expression can be grounds for execution.
    We respect people of all faiths and welcome the free practice of
    religion; our enemy wants to dictate how to think and how to worship,
    even to their fellow Muslims.
        This enemy tries to hide behind a peaceful faith. But those who
    celebrate the murder of innocent men, women, and children have no
    religion, have no conscience, and have no mercy.
        We wage a war to save civilization, itself. We did not seek it, but
    we will fight it, and we will prevail.
        This is a different war from any our Nation has ever faced, a war on
    many fronts, against terrorists who operate in more than 60 different
    countries. And this is a war that must be fought not only overseas but
    also here at home. I recently spoke to high school students in Maryland
    and realized that for the first time ever, these seniors will graduate
    in the midst of a war in our own country. We have entered a new era, and
    this new era requires new responsibilities, both for the Government and
    for our people.
        The Government has a responsibility to protect our citizens, and
    that starts with

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    homeland security. The first attack against America came by plane, and
    we are now making our airports and airplanes safer. We have posted the
    National Guard in America's airports and placed undercover air marshals
    on many flights. I call on Congress to quickly send me legislation that
    makes cockpits more secure, baggage screening more thorough, and puts
    the Federal Government in charge of all airport screening and security.
        The second attack against America came in the mail. We do not know
    whether this attack came from the same terrorists. We don't know the
    origin of the anthrax, but whoever did this unprecedented and
    uncivilized act is a terrorist.
        Four Americans have now died from anthrax, out of a total of 17
    people who have been infected. The Postal Service has processed more
    than 30 billion pieces of mail since September the 11th, and so far
    we've identified 3 different letters that contained anthrax. We can
    trace the source of infection for all but one of the individuals, and we
    are still trying to learn how a woman who died in New York was exposed.
        I'm proud of the way our health care and postal workers--and the
    American people--are responding with calm in the face of this deadly new
    threat. Public health officials have acted quickly to distribute
    preventative antibiotics to thousands of people who may have been
    exposed. The Government is purchasing and storing medicines and vaccines
    as a precaution against future attacks. We are cleaning facilities where
    anthrax has been detected and purchasing equipment to sanitize the mail.
    Thousands of law enforcement officials are aggressively investigating
    this bioterrorism attack, and public health officials are distributing
    the most accurate, up-to-date information we have to medical
    professionals and to the public.
        To coordinate our efforts we've created the new Office of Homeland
    Security. Its Director, my good friend and former Governor Tom
    Ridge, reports directly to me and works with all
    our Federal agencies, State and local governments, and the private
    sector on a national strategy to strengthen our homeland protections.
    For example, the Coast Guard has taken on expanded duties to protect our
    shores and our ports. The National Guard has increased--an increased
    role in surveillance at our border. We're imposing new licensing
    requirements for safer transportation of hazardous material.
        We've passed a new antiterrorism law which gives our law enforcement
    officers the necessary tools to track terrorists before they harm
    Americans. A new terrorism task force is tightening immigration controls
    to make sure no one enters or stays in our country who would harm us. We
    are a welcoming country. We will always value freedom. Yet we will not
    allow those who plot against our country to abuse our freedoms and our
    protections.
        Our enemies have threatened other acts of terror. We take each
    threat seriously, and when we have evidence of credible threats, we will
    issue appropriate alerts. A terrorism alert is not a signal to stop your
    life. It is a call to be vigilant, to know that your Government is on
    high alert, and to add your eyes and ears to our efforts to find and
    stop those who want to do us harm.
        A lot of people are working really hard to protect America. But in
    the long run, the best way to defend our homeland, the best way to make
    sure our children can live in peace is to take the battle to the enemy
    and to stop them.
        I have called our military into action to hunt down the members of
    the Al Qaida organization who murdered innocent Americans. I gave fair
    warning to the Government that harbors them in Afghanistan. The Taliban
    made a choice to continue hiding terrorists, and now they are paying a
    price.
        I'm so proud of our military. Our military is pursuing its mission.
    We are destroying training camps, disrupting communications, and
    dismantling air defenses. We are now

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    bombing Taliban frontlines. We are deliberately and systematically
    hunting down these murderers, and we will bring them to justice.
        Throughout this battle, we adhere to our values. Unlike our enemy,
    we respect life. We do not target innocent civilians. We care for the
    innocent people of Afghanistan, so we continue to provide humanitarian
    aid, even while their Government tries to steal the food we send. When
    the terrorists and their supporters are gone, the people of Afghanistan
    will say with the rest of the world: Good riddance.
        We are at the beginning of our efforts in Afghanistan, and
    Afghanistan is only the beginning of our efforts in the world. No group
    or nation should mistake Americans' intentions: Where terrorist groups
    exist of global reach, the United States and our friends and allies will
    seek it out, and we will destroy it.
        After September the 11th, our Government assumed new
    responsibilities to strengthen security at home and track down our
    enemies abroad. And the American people are accepting new
    responsibilities, as well.
        I recently received a letter from a fourth grade girl that seemed to
    say it all. ``I don't know how to feel,'' she said, ``sad, mad, angry.
    It has been different lately. I know the people in New York are scared
    because of the World Trade Center and all, but if we're scared, we are
    giving the terrorists all the power.'' In the face of this great
    tragedy, Americans are refusing to give terrorists the power. Our people
    have responded with courage and compassion, calm and reason, resolve and
    fierce determination. We have refused to live in a state of panic or a
    state of denial. There is a difference between being alert and being
    intimidated, and this great nation will never be intimidated.
        People are going about their daily lives, working and shopping and
    playing, worshiping at churches and synagogues and mosques, going to
    movies and to baseball games. [Laughter] Life in America is going
    forward, and as the fourth grader who wrote me knew, that is the
    ultimate repudiation of terrorism.
        And something even more profound is happening across our country.
    The enormity of this tragedy has caused many Americans to focus on the
    things that have not changed, the things that matter most in life: our
    faith, our love for family and friends, our commitment to our country
    and to our freedoms and to our principles.
        In my Inaugural Address, I asked our citizens to serve their Nation,
    beginning with their neighbors. This fall, I had planned a new
    initiative called Communities of Character, designed to spark a rebirth
    of citizenship and character and service. The events of September the
    11th have caused that initiative to happen on its own, in ways we could
    never have imagined.
        Flags are flying everywhere, on houses, in store windows, on cars
    and lapels. Financial donations to the victims' families have reached
    more than a billion dollars. Countless Americans gave blood in the
    aftermath of the attacks. New Yorkers opened their homes to evacuated
    neighbors. We are waiting patiently in long security lines. Children
    across America have organized lemonade and cookie sales for children in
    Afghanistan.
        And we can do more. Since September the 11th, many Americans,
    especially young Americans, are rethinking their career choices. They're
    being drawn to careers of service, as police or firemen, emergency
    health workers, teachers, counselors, or in the military. And this is
    good for America.
        Many ask, ``What can I do to help in our fight?'' The answer is
    simple. All of us can become a September-the-11th volunteer by making a
    commitment to service in our own communities. So you can serve your
    country by tutoring or mentoring a child, comforting the afflicted,
    housing those in need of shelter and a home. You can participate in your
    Neighborhood Watch or Crime Stoppers. You can become

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    a volunteer in a hospital, emergency medical, fire, or rescue unit. You
    can support our troops in the field and, just as importantly, support
    their families here at home by becoming active in the USO or groups in
    communities near our military installations.
        We also will encourage service to country by creating new
    opportunities within the AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs for public
    safety and public health efforts. We'll ask State and local officials to
    create a new modern civil defense service similar to local volunteer
    fire departments, to respond to local emergencies when the manpower of
    governments is stretched thin. We will find ways to train and mobilize
    more volunteers to help when rescue and health emergencies arise.
        Americans have a lot to offer, so I've created a task force to
    develop additional ways people can get directly involved in this war
    effort, by making our homes and neighborhoods and schools and workplaces
    safer. And I call on all Americans to serve by bettering our communities
    and, thereby, defy and defeat the terrorists.
        Our great national challenge is to hunt down the terrorists and
    strengthen our protection against future attacks. Our great national
    opportunity is to preserve forever the good that has resulted. Through
    this tragedy, we are renewing and reclaiming our strong American values.
        Both Laura and I were touched by a recent newspaper article that
    quoted a little 4-year-old girl, who asked a telling and innocent
    question. Wondering how terrorists could hate a whole nation of people
    they don't even know, she asked, ``Why don't we just tell them our
    names?'' [Laughter] Well, we can't tell them all our names, but together
    we can show them our values.
        Too many have the wrong idea of Americans as shallow, materialistic
    consumers who care only about getting rich or getting ahead. But this
    isn't the America I know. Ours is a wonderful nation, full of kind and
    loving people, people of faith who want freedom and opportunity for
    people everywhere. One way to defeat terrorism is to show the world the
    true values of America through the gathering momentum of a million acts
    of responsibility and decency and service.
        I'm encouraging schoolchildren to write letters of friendship to
    Muslim children in different countries. Our college students and those
    who travel abroad for business or vacation can all be ambassadors of
    American values. Ours is a great story, and we must tell it, through our
    words and through our deeds.
        I came to Atlanta today to talk about an all-important question: How
    should we live in the light of what has happened? We all have new
    responsibilities.
        Our Government has a responsibility to hunt down our enemies, and we
    will. Our Government has a responsibility to put needless partisanship
    behind us and meet new challenges: better security for our people, and
    help for those who have lost jobs and livelihoods in the attacks that
    claimed so many lives. I made some proposals to stimulate economic
    growth which will create new jobs and make America less dependent on
    foreign oil. And I ask Congress to work hard and put a stimulus plan
    into law to help the American people.
        Our citizens have new responsibilities. We must be vigilant.
    Obviously, we must inspect our mail and stay informed on public health
    matters. We will not give in to exaggerated fears or passing rumors. We
    will rely on good judgment and good, old common sense. We will care for
    those who have lost loved ones and comfort those who might at times feel
    afraid. We will not judge fellow Americans by appearance, ethnic
    background, or religious faith. We will defend the values of our
    country, and we will live by them. We will persevere in this struggle,
    no matter how long it takes to prevail.
        Above all, we will live in a spirit of courage and optimism. Our
    Nation was born in that spirit, as immigrants yearning for

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    freedom courageously risked their lives in search of greater
    opportunity. That spirit of optimism and courage still beckons people
    across the world who want to come here. And that spirit of optimism and
    courage must guide those of us fortunate enough to live here.
        Courage and optimism led the passengers on Flight 93 to rush their
    murderers to save lives on the ground--led by a young man whose last
    known words were the Lord's Prayer and ``Let's roll.'' He didn't know he
    had signed on for heroism when he boarded the plane that day. Some of
    our greatest moments have been acts of courage for which no one could
    have ever prepared.
        We will always remember the words of that brave man, expressing the
    spirit of a great country. We will never forget all we have lost and all
    we are fighting for. Ours is the cause of freedom. We've defeated
    freedom enemies before, and we will defeat them again.
        We cannot know every turn this battle will take. Yet we know our
    cause is just and our ultimate victory is assured. We will, no doubt,
    face new challenges. But we have our marching orders: My fellow
    Americans, ``Let's roll.''

    Note: The President spoke at 8:03 p.m. at the World Congress Center. In
    his address, he referred to Kathy Nguyen, a New York City hospital
    worker who died October 31 of inhalation anthrax; and Todd Beamer, a
    passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 93 when it was hijacked and
    crashed in Somerset, PA, on September 11. The Office of the Press
    Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.
    The Executive order of November 9 establishing the Presidential Task
    Force on Citizen Preparedness in the War on Terrorism is listed in
    Appendix D at the end of this volume.