Chapter 30



Re: September Roll Call - New York

hi all i'm Donna from Misouri been posting two years chrisTMAS last christmas web was a christmas present from my daughter i am 75 and live in a nursing home paralized due to a stroke in 91 so am in a wheelchair my husband died in 93 i have a daughter and a grandaughter they both live in Indianapis Indiana feb twenty third this year i had a great grandson they brought him when he was two weeks old but i hope i get to see him for christmas they always come on christmas and take me to my son in laws sisters for christmas supper otherwise my daughter gets here about every two or three months it seems a long time between but they both have full time jobs so just thankful i see them as often as i do she is really good to me if i ask for anything special for christmas she gets it for me and usually gives me $100 to christmas shop with my birthday is Feb 12 1926 my aniversary was sept 7th but i am a widow now my husband had cancer of the lung and had a pneumonectomy was ok for about a year then got liver cancer and only lived about three months we were maried in 1975 i had been married before in 1949 and was married till 1971 divorced the month my grandaughter was born one month later rather was divorced in Feb she was born Jan 1 had a younger daugter but lost her to brain tumor in 1967 about a month before her fifteenth birthday oldest girl born July 21 1950 Vickie July 3 1952 well thats enough about me


Mon, Sep 3, 2001
Re: September Roll Call Missouri

i didn't change the subject line before we were in new york once but go lost didn't know where we were on our honeymoon we had driven to the east coast and my husband told me i could take my pick tour new york city or Washington D.C. i chose washington and while i am sorry i missed New York Washington was really worth seeing we took a limosine tour and even went down to Mount Vernon then that evening we came back up the river on a boat i think it was the Potomic river but one time i went to Lynchburg virginia for an astrology conference i went on Amtrak there are so many rivers out there and they are all beautiful went one other time on the plane but you don't see as much pretty scenery that way used to go on the train a lot when i was little my dad worked on the railroad and got passes my mother had two aunts in Indiana we would go about once a year train trip was always a thrill one time i must have been 10 or 11 they took up the street car tracks in our city there was a plane at the airport that took passengers up to look at the city my dad took me i was sitting next to the window it turned and banked of course i had hold of the window sill pulling on it my dad said you can't pull that wing up by pulling on the window sill just wait it will straighten up and of course it did but i guess for awhile i could pull it up straight



Mon, Sep 3, 2001
Re: KILLED A SNAKE

one time my daughter 3 was playing outside in her Sandbox came in with her eyes as big as saucers said mommy i stepped on a snake i went out by this time it was crawling up the tree it was a milk snake harmless it crawled up into the bowl of the tree and i guess there it stayed we never saw it again the most scary thing that happened to me i was doing dishes looked out the window and there in the yard running along the fence was a creature that was making the most awful noise i went out to the barnyard and told my husband you have to come see what this thing in the yard is it's making scary noises so he came up looked out the window and started to laugh he looked at me and said my gosh didn't you ever see a Guinea before well i hadn't and was glad to find out it was only a kind of chicken at least i guess that's what they are but they make the most awful noise but i guess if you live or have lived on a farm you know


Mon, Sep 3, 2001

Re: 1950 married life ››Yeah Right !!


my husband was usually working in the fields sometimes he would come in at 5 or 6 sometime not till 9 my mother said you should really get those girls supper at a regular time you can wait and eat with him but you should fed the girls at a regular time and not so late then they were 2and 4 so i would get them their supper and then they would usually go to bed Duane would come in and milk at five then usually go back out to the fields but i would wait and eat with him later when the girls were older we would all eat together when started l.p. n. school i had a room in Mexico during the week they would bring me in Monday morning come get me friday evening the rest of the time i studied Mary was 12 Vickie 10 they were on the farm and their dad was always where they could get him Mary did the cooking and by that age she coud put as good a meal on the table as i could and took care of the house i did the wash and other necessary things on the weekend by that time i had a washer and dryer in the kitchen as far as the house goes even then Mary was a better housekeeper than i was the last time i talked to her on the phone she said dad is here he had a heart attack i said my goodness he had a quadtuple bypass she said yes but that was 17 years ago the artery was clogged again this time they put in a shunt so he will be there with them for awhile he is 83 now 8 years older than i am i will call this evening and check on him from the hospital he went to jims sisters in columbia and stayed with them for a couple of days then jim went and got him and took him to indiana not sure how long he will be there but mary will keep him till she's sure he will be ok on his own


Mon, Sep 3, 2001

Re: 1950 married life ››Yeah Right !!


she is right if you have a husband who keeps regular hours if he doesn't you need to play it by ear on our first aniversary i did my best good dinner i had a real pretty damask tablecloth and a beautiful rubrosa lily in the yard i used the tablecloth lilys for the centerpiece Mary was one month old born July 21 our annivesary was Aug 20 she decided to scream and cry for half of the meal i walked her and he walked her for the other half and that was our first anniversary


Mon, Sep 3, 2001

Re: 1950 married life ››Yeah Right !! wayne


for some reason my mother in law did not think a boy or man shoud be in the house especially in the kitchen their place was in the field so my husband didn't learn cooking or housework but he did what i could one time he had to kill a chicken and bring it in somthing had torn it's leg off we cut it up something neither one of us had done before that poor chicken had some strange looking pieces i think some way we got about 10 don't ask me how we had two legs and that is all i remember


Wed, Sep 5, 2001

September Roll Call Michigan


i retired and did so much more than when i was working it wore me out so i retired from retirement went back to work for three years till i had this stroke but only p.r.n. if they needed someone they called me usually at 6:05 and i had to be there at 7 i made it though then in 91 they called me 4 times that january but it was so icy bill wouldn't let me drive in then in Feb i fell on my face and haven't walked or worked since just a useless thing someone else has to help


Re: Wed, Sep 5, 2001
September Roll Call - Indiana

hi gretchensmaw have daughter grandaughter and greatgrandson in Indianapolis Did have great aunt in Layfayette when i as little she lived in little town Called Buck Creek think was about ten miles or so west of lafayette uncle ran what they used to call a cream station farmers brought milk and cream there he put them on train to the big dairy in Lafayette later years he worked there at the Sunshine Dairy had another aunt she lived on a farm on the tipicanoe river later lived in little town called Clarks hill but they have both been gone since the sixtys Great grandmother lived in town called Delphi think it's in the north remember going there once when i was real young not a big town might have been christmas remember town was lit up that night remember mother saying this is Delphi her grandmother used to take her there in the summer when she was a girl kept house for two uncles who lived on the farm mother said one time sow with a litte she and her brother thought they could get the end pig without the sow noticing she said it didn't work sow chased them up into old buggy till the men came and got them



Wed, Sep 5, 2001
Re: September Roll Call - New JERSEY

BARB YOUR NEVER INTRUDING YOUR ONE OF US



Wed, Sep 5, 2001
Re: Get Well Soon Judy

yes Judy take care prayers and lots of white thoughts coming your way



Wed, Sep 5, 2001
Re: Get Well Soon Judy

felt really bad the other morning first time in years i had bilious attack and vomiting couldn't eat breakfast which is really out of the ordinary for me love my eggs and oatmeal didn't eat the other two either not hungry but felt a little light headed that night not sure if it was a touch of the flu going around or just one of those things felt fine the next day and have since




Wed, Sep 5, 2001
Re: Diary

i did not but if i had there would have been no one to look i had the five year diary but if i did write i used up the whole page my mother usually knew what was going on with me though i was never far enough away from her for something to happen she didn't know besides i would usually wind up telling her like did i have a crush on this one or that



Thu, Sep 6, 2001
Re: Goodbye Grannies!!!

Dottie i know you have to do what you have to do but really wish you could keep your web so you could stay in touch losing a grannie is like a death in the family but goodbye if that is what it has to be miss you and be thinking of you



Sun, Sep 9, 2001
Re: Have a Great Day!

wish my kids could come but i know they cant not this week anyway



Sun, Sep 9, 2001
Re: Have a Great Day!

how do i get to bluemountain cards the only time i see them is when someone sends me one



Mon, Sep 10, 2001
Re: THROW PILLOWS

i have pillows regular pillows that they put behind my back and one of the special pilows that has so much support we rolled it into a roll it goes under my neck at night and makes sleeping more comfortable right now i need to retape it or have someone do it i always slept on my right side but can't now because i cant get my bad leg over so i have to settle for sleeping on my back but after 11 years i'm used to it get tired if i have to stay in bed too long i was used to turning or sitting up if i got tired now i have to wait till someone comes to put my brace on my bad foot wants to turn but i'm thankful today the pressure of the shoe is not hurting it so seems like it will be a good day almost 7 need to watch the time



Mon, Sep 10, 2001
Re: THROW PILLOWS

i worked with a girl in Columbia who was from Lithunia her mother made pillow she did them in needle point beautiful designs i got one for my daughter she loved it there must have been hours of work in it i think she said it was a national design just fit a chair




A Proclamation

On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked America in a series of despicable acts of war. They hijacked four passenger jets, crashed two of them into the World Trade Center's twin towers, a third into the Headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense at the Pentagon, causing great loss of life and tremendous damage. The fourth plane crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside, killing all on board but falling well short of its intended target apparently because of the heroic efforts of passengers on board. This carnage, which caused the collapse of both Trade Center towers and the destruction of part of the Pentagon, killed more than 250 airplane passengers and thousands more on the ground.

Civilized people around the world denounce the evildoers who devised and executed these terrible attacks. Justice demands that those who helped or harbored the terrorists be punished -- and punished severely. The enormity of their evil demands it. We will use all the resources of the United States and our cooperating friends and allies to pursue those responsible for this evil, until justice is done. We mourn with those who have suffered great and disastrous loss. All our hearts have been seared by the sudden and sense-less taking of innocent lives. We pray for healing and for the strength to serve and encourage one another in hope and faith.

Scripture says: "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted." I call on every American family and the family of America to observe a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance, honoring the memory of the thousands of victims of these brutal attacks and comforting those who lost loved ones. We will persevere through this national tragedy and personal loss. In time, we will find healing and recovery; and, in the face of all this evil, we remain strong and united, "one Nation under God."


NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Friday, September 14, 2001, as a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001. I ask that the people of the United States and places of worship mark this National Day of Prayer and Remembrance with noontime memorial services, the ringing of bells at that hour, and evening candlelight remembrance vigils. I encourage employers to permit their workers time off during the lunch hour to attend the noontime services to pray for our land. I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in these solemn observances.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-sixth.
GEORGE W. BUSH





Fri, Sep 14, 2001
Re: HAVE TOLD MY FAMILY

let us tell our family anf friends we love them we may never get another chance



Fri, Sep 14, 2001
Re: HAVE TOLD MY FAMILY

my daughter and i say i love you eveytime we talk on the phone she does come to see me but it is a long drive and anything could happen i pray for her



Fri, Sep 14, 2001
Re: HAVE TOLD MY FAMILY

this group is the best there has been so much hate elsewhere on the web people crying drop the atom bomb on the whole middle east i can't believe all of them want to kill us that they will give their own lives for their faith is foreign concept to most of us



Sat, Sep 15, 2001
Re: My personal friend on plane

t's tragic Troy but remember God can heal and they are in his keeping now and the ones that did it face his judgement and that everyone on the planes both the guilty and the innocent were special to someone somewhere



Sun, Sep 16, 2001

Re: MEET EMMA..GLO'S NEW G/DAUGHTER


congrats glo beautiful baby



Sun, Sep 16, 2001

Re: WTC Inside pics before collapse


give thanks to god for those who did make it


Sun, Sep 16, 2001
Re: IN TRAGEDY, IT IS HARD FOR ME

having to bury a closed casket is terrible i know we brought my daughter from columbia missouri to the little town in Illinois where she was burried if i could not have had her casket open till the last minute but there are many now who will have only a marker to remember i wonder if there will be a special cemetary for them but i don't know that much about new york



Sun, Sep 16, 2001

Re: NEWS HABIT FORMING


Just as me or many of my generation never forgot Sunday December 7 1941 no t.v. but we did cling to the radio


Sun, Sep 16, 2001

Re: NEWS HABIT FORMING


just as me and my generation will never forget Sunday december 7 1941 no t.v. but we sure clung to the radio to hear the latest not knowing then which of our dearesrt we would lose and all the churches had special meetings and they did not wait till the next sunday to do so latter a lot of fear in my home town big factory the Caterpillar tractor we did follow the black out drills closely and we all had gas masks



Sun, Sep 16, 2001

Re: NEWS HABIT FORMING


things were not normal for a long time after 41 but now in 01 a lot have forgotten in news group yesterday they were comparing the terrorist acts to Sherman when he burned Atlanta they also the abolitionists were religious fanatics a strange view to those of us raised in the north who were taught all confederates were evil villians



Sun, Sep 16, 2001
Re: GETTING READY

just getting the leaders like Ben Laden and such is not going to stop this any more than executing st. Peter or the others stopped the first century christian movement



Sun, Sep 16, 2001
Re: GETTING READY

war or granada it will be drawn out like WW2 and WW1 or even VIET NAM i still say and have been violently disagreed with in the chat rooms that in many ways the u.s. has turned against god and he is sending us a wake up call


Sun, Sep 16, 2001
Re: GETTING READY

  i don't believe getting loden or any of the leaders will stop this any more than geting st. Peter or any of the other apostles stopped the first century christian movement yes they are wrong but millions of them truly believe so we can just wait and see who god suports he said he had no use for anyone who was luke warm


Sun, Sep 16, 2001
Re: GETTING READY

WW2 started december 41 my husband and his brother and others were drafted Feb 42 i think they may think a little longer about this after all that time we had a definite enemy a nation they were fanatics too we could take a page out of hitlers book destroy all the mosques and set up concentration camps but i don't believe genocide is the answer



Thu, Sep 20, 2001
GOD SAID REPENT

how many times did god tell Israel through the prophets repent or another country will take you captive. how many times did Israel LAUGH AT THEM OR EVEN STONE THEM and how many times were they taken captive we say of course nothing like that could ever happen to this country but how many are sure of that now and if we fight a religeous war how many people understand what that would mean



Text of speech by President Bush September 20, 2001 following the terrrist attack on d Trade Center
Mr. Speaker, Mr. President pro tempore, members of Congress, and fellow Americans:

In the normal course of events, presidents come to this chamber to report on the state of the Union. Tonight, no such report is needed. It has already been delivered by the American people.

We have seen it in the courage of passengers, who rushed terrorists to save others on the ground ? passengers like an exceptional man named Todd Beamer.

       Please help me to welcome his wife, Lisa Beamer, here tonight.

       We have seen the state of our union in the endurance of rescuers, working past exhaustion. We have seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles, the giving of blood, the saying of prayers in English, Hebrew and Arabic. We have seen the decency of a loving and giving people, who have made the grief of strangers their own.

       My fellow citizens,for the last nine days, the entire world has seen for itself the state of our union and it is strong.

       Tonight we are a country awakened to danger and called to defend freedom. Our grief has turned to anger, and anger to resolution. Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done.

       
I THANK THE CONGRESS, ... THE WORLD

       I thank the Congress for its leadership at such an important time. All of America was touched on the evening of the tragedy to see Republicans and Democrats joined together on the steps of this Capitol, singing ?God Bless America.? And you did more than sing, you acted, by delivering $40 billion to rebuild our communities and meet the needs of our military.

       Speaker Hastert, Minority Leader Gephardt, Majority Leader Daschle and Senator Lott, I thank you for your friendship, for your leadership and your service to our country.

       And on behalf of the American people, I thank the world for its outpouring of support. America will never forget the sounds of our national anthem playing at Buckingham Palace, and on the streets of Paris, and at Berlin?s Brandenburg Gate. We will not forget South Korean children gathering to pray outside our embassy in Seoul, or the prayers of sympathy offered at a mosque in Cairo. We will not forget moments of silence and days of mourning in Australia and Africa and Latin America.

       Nor will we forget the citizens of 80 other nations who died with our own. Dozens of Pakistanis. More than 130 Israelis. More than 250 citizens of India. Men and women from El Salvador, Iran, Mexico and Japan. And hundreds of British citizens. America has no truer friend than Great Britain. Once again, we are joined together in a great cause. I'm so honored the British prime minister has crossed an ocean to show his unity with America. Thank you for coming friend.

       
WHO ATTACKED OUR COUNTRY?

       On September the eleventh, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country. Americans have known wars, but for the past 136 years, they have been wars on foreign soil, except for one Sunday in 1941. Americans have known the casualties of war but not at the center of a great city on a peaceful morning. Americans have known surprise attacks but never before on thousands of civilians. All of this was brought upon us in a single day, and night fell on a different world, a world where freedom itself is under attack.

       Americans have many questions tonight. Americans are asking: Who attacked our country?

       The evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al-Qaeda. They are the same murderers indicted for bombing American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya and responsible for the bombing of the USS Cole.

       Al-Qaeda is to terror what the mafia is to crime. But its goal is not making money; its goal is remaking the world and imposing its radical beliefs on people everywhere.

       The terrorists practice a fringe form of Islamic extremism that has been rejected by Muslim scholars and the vast majority of Muslim clerics, a fringe movement that perverts the peaceful teachings of Islam. The terrorists? directive commands them to kill Christians and Jews, to kill all Americans, and make no distinctions among military and civilians, including women and children.

       This group and its leader, a person named Osama bin Laden, are linked to many other organizations in different countries, including the Egyptian Islamic Jihad and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

       There are thousands of these terrorists in more than 60 countries. They are recruited from their own nations and neighborhoods, and brought to camps in places like Afghanistan where they are trained in the tactics of terror. They are sent back to their homes or sent to hide in countries around the world to plot evil and destruction.

       
WE MAKE THE FOLLOWING DEMANDS ON THE TALIBAN

       The leadership of al-Qaeda has great influence in Afghanistan, and supports the Taliban regime in controlling most of that country. In Afghanistan, we see al-Qaeda?s vision for the world.

       Afghanistan?s people have been brutalized, many are starving and many have fled. Women are not allowed to attend school. You can be jailed for owning a television. Religion can be practiced only as their leaders dictate. A man can be jailed in Afghanistan if his beard is not long enough.

       The United States respects the people of Afghanistan. After all, we are currently its largest source of humanitarian aid, but we condemn the Taliban regime. It is not only repressing its own people, it is threatening people everywhere by sponsoring and sheltering and supplying terrorists. By aiding and abetting murder, the Taliban regime is committing murder. And tonight, the United States of America makes the following demands on the Taliban:

       Deliver to United States authorities all the leaders of al-Qaeda who hide in your land.

       Release all foreign nationals, including American citizens you have unjustly imprisoned, and protect foreign journalists, diplomats, and aid workers in your country.

       Close immediately and permanently every terrorist training camp in Afghanistan and hand over every terrorist, and every person in their support structure, to appropriate authorities.

       Give the United States full access to terrorist training camps, so we can make sure they are no longer operating.

       These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion. The Taliban must act and act immediately. They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate.

       
WE RESPECT MUSLIMS

       I also want to speak tonight directly to Muslims throughout the world: We respect your faith. It is practiced freely by many millions of Americans, and by millions more in countries that America counts as friends. Its teachings are good and peaceful, and those who commit evil in the name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah. The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying, in effect, to hijack Islam itself. The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends; it is not our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists, and every government that supports them.

       Our war on terror begins with al-Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped, and defeated.

       Americans are asking: Why do they hate us?

       They hate what we see right here in this chamber, a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms, our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other.

       They want to overthrow existing governments in many Muslim countries, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. They want to drive Israel out of the Middle East. They want to drive Christians and Jews out of vast regions of Asia and Africa.

       These terrorists kill not merely to end lives, but to disrupt and end a way of life. With every atrocity, they hope that America grows fearful, retreating from the world and forsaking our friends. They stand against us, because we stand in their way.

       We are not deceived by their pretenses to piety. We have seen their kind before. They are the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the twentieth century. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions, by abandoning every value except the will to power, they follow in the path of fascism, and Nazism, and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way, to where it ends: in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.

       
HOW WILL WE WIN THIS WAR?

       Americans are asking: How will we fight and win this war?

       We will direct every resource at our command every means of diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law enforcement, every financial influence, and every necessary weapon of war to the disruption and defeat of the global terror network.

       This war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago, with its decisive liberation of territory and its swift conclusion. It will not look like the air war above Kosovo two years ago, where no ground troops were used and not a single American was lost in combat.

       Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have seen. It may include dramatic strikes, visible on television, and covert operations, secret even in success. We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or rest. And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.

       Our nation has been put on notice: We are not immune from attack. We will take defensive measures against terrorism to protect Americans.

       
CREATION OF A CABINET-LEVEL POSITION

       Today, dozens of federal departments and agencies, as well as state and local governments, have responsibilities affecting homeland security. These efforts must be coordinated at the highest level. So tonight I announce the creation of a cabinet-level position reporting directly to me: the Office of Homeland Security.

       And tonight, I also announce a distinguished American to lead this effort, to strengthen American security: a military veteran, an effective governor, a true patriot, a trusted friend, Pennsylvania?s Tom Ridge. He will lead, oversee and coordinate a comprehensive national strategy to safeguard our country against terrorism and respond to any attacks that may come.

       These measures are essential. But the only way to defeat terrorism as a threat to our way of life is to stop it, eliminate it, and destroy it where it grows.

       Many will be involved in this effort, from FBI agents to intelligence operatives to the reservists we have called to active duty. All deserve our thanks, and all have our prayers. And tonight, a few miles from the damaged Pentagon, I have a message for our military: Be ready. I have called the armed forces to alert, and there is a reason. The hour is coming when America will act, and you will make us proud.

       This is not, however, just America's fight. And what is at stake is not just America's freedom. This is the world's fight. This is civilization's fight. This is the fight of all who believe in progress and pluralism, tolerance and freedom.

       We ask every nation to join us. We will ask, and we will need, the help of police forces, intelligence services, and banking systems around the world. The United States is grateful that many nations and many international organizations have already responded with sympathy and with support. Nations from Latin America, to Asia, to Africa, to Europe, to the Islamic world. Perhaps the NATO Charter reflects best the attitude of the world: an attack on one is an attack on all.

       The civilized world is rallying to America's side. They understand that if this terror goes unpunished, their own cities, their own citizens may be next. Terror, unanswered, can not only bring down buildings, it can threaten the stability of legitimate governments. And we will not allow it.

       
WHAT IS EXPECTED OF US?

       Americans are asking: What is expected of us?

       I ask you to live your lives and hug your children. I know many citizens have fears tonight, and I ask you to be calm and resolute, even in the face of a continuing threat.

       I ask you to uphold the values of America, and remember why so many have come here. We are in a fight for our principles, and our first responsibility is to live by them. No one should be singled out for unfair treatment or unkind words because of their ethnic background or religious faith.

       I ask you to continue to support the victims of this tragedy with your contributions. Those who want to give can go to a central source of information, http://www.libertyunites.org, to find the names of groups providing direct help in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

       The thousands of FBI agents who are now at work in this investigation may need your cooperation, and I ask you to give it.

       I ask for your patience, with the delays and inconveniences that may accompany tighter security and for your patience in what will be a long struggle.

       I ask your continued participation and confidence in the American economy. Terrorists attacked a symbol of American prosperity. They did not touch its source. America is successful because of the hard work, and creativity, and enterprise of our people. These were the true strengths of our economy before September eleventh, and they are our strengths today.

       Finally, please continue praying for the victims of terror and their families, for those in uniform, and for our great country. Prayer has comforted us in sorrow, and will help strengthen us for the journey ahead.

       Tonight I thank my fellow Americans for what you have already done and for what you will do. And ladies and gentlemen of the Congress, I thank you, their representatives, for what you have already done, and for what we will do together.

       
WE WILL COME TOGETHER

       Tonight, we face new and sudden national challenges. We will come together to improve air safety, to dramatically expand the number of air marshals on domestic flights, and take new measures to prevent hijacking. We will come together to promote stability and keep our airlines flying with direct assistance during this emergency.

       We will come together to give law enforcement the additional tools it needs to track down terror here at home. We will come together to strengthen our intelligence capabilities to know the plans of terrorists before they act, and find them before they strike.

       We will come together to take active steps that strengthen America's economy, and put our people back to work.

       Tonight we welcome here two leaders who embody the extraordinary spirit of all New Yorkers: Governor George Pataki, and Mayor Rudy Giuliani. As a symbol of America's resolve, my Administration will work with the Congress, and these two leaders, to show the world that we will rebuild New York City.

       After all that has just passed, all the lives taken, and all the possibilities and hopes that died with them, it is natural to wonder if America's future is one of fear. Some speak of an age of terror. I know there are struggles ahead, and dangers to face. But this country will define our times, not be defined by them. As long as the United States of America is determined and strong, this will not be an age of terror; this will be an age of liberty, here and across the world.

       Great harm has been done to us. We have suffered great loss. And in our grief and anger we have found our mission and our moment. Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom, the great achievement of our time, and the great hope of every time, now depends on us. Our nation, this generation, will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause, by our efforts and by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.

       It is my hope that in the months and years ahead, life will return almost to normal. We'll go back to our lives and routines, and that is good. Even grief recedes with time and grace. But our resolve must not pass. Each of us will remember what happened that day, and to whom it happened. We will remember the moment the news came, where we were and what we were doing. Some will remember an image of fire, or a story of rescue. Some will carry memories of a face and a voice gone forever.

       
I WILL NOT YIELD

       And I will carry this. It is the police shield of a man named George Howard, who died at the World Trade Center trying to save others. It was given to me by his mom, Arlene, as a proud memorial to her son. This is my reminder of lives that ended, and a task that does not end.

       I will not forget this wound to our country, or those who inflicted it. I will not yield. I will not rest. I will not relent in waging this struggle for the freedom and security of the American people.

       The course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome is certain. Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty, have always been at war, and we know that God is not neutral between them.

       Fellow citizens, we will meet violence with patient justice assured of the rightness of our cause, and confident of the victories to come. In all that lies before us, may God grant us wisdom, and may He watch over the United States of America.

       Thank you.





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