[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 14 (Monday, April 8, 2002)]
[Page 541]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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The President's Radio Address

March 30, 2002

    Good morning. Almost 7 months have passed since the attack on our 
country, and the shock and sadness of that day are still with us. For 
many, the grief and sense of loss will never fully pass, and they are in 
our thoughts, especially in this holy season.
    The entire world is reminded again this week of the hope that lives 
and endures forever. For Jews and Christians, this is a time of joy and 
renewal. Passover celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from 
oppression, by the hand of a faithful God. And tomorrow, Easter Sunday, 
many Christians will celebrate a hope that overcomes even death.
    These holy days represent some of the most profound hopes of 
humanity, which are shared in many traditions. We feel our reliance on 
the Creator who made us. We place our sorrows and cares before Him, 
seeking God's mercy. We ask forgiveness for our failures, seeking the 
renewal He can bring.
    Americans practice different faiths in churches, synagogues, 
mosques, and temples. And many good people practice no faith at all. For 
those who observe Easter and Passover, faith brings confidence that 
failure is never final, and suffering is temporary, and the pains of the 
Earth will be overcome. We can be confident, too, that evil may be 
present and it may be strong, but it will not prevail.
    On September the 11th, a terrible evil was done to our country. 
America and the civilized world are now joined together in a great 
struggle against enemies who have no regard for innocent life. Grave 
challenges and dangers face us in this war. We cannot predict every turn 
ahead of us, yet in this season, we are assured that history is of moral 
design. Justice and cruelty have always been at war, and God is not 
neutral between them. His purposes are often defied but never defeated.
    I hope that this holy season will bring renewal of faith to those 
who seek it and comfort to those who need it. And to all who observe 
these special days, I wish you a joyful Easter and a blessed Passover.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 9:37 a.m. on March 26 in the Cabinet 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on March 30. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
March 29 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office 
of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of 
this address.