Cummings Remembers 9/11 Attacks

Statement

Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, released the following statement on the 10th anniversary of the deadly terrorist attacks on the United States that occurred on September 11, 2001.

"Today is a solemn day," said Cummings. "It is a day to be treated with remembrance, reverence and resolve.

"Today, I hope all Marylanders will join me in taking time to remember the thousands of our American brothers and sisters who perished in the attacks on Washington, New York and Pennsylvania on that terrible day a decade ago. It seems like only yesterday that we saw the staggering images of the stricken towers on our television screens. We watched in stunned, often mute horror as those towers fell, as the Pentagon was struck and as the heroes of Flight 93 fell to their final resting place.

"This day must also be treated with reverence, both for the memory of those whom we have lost and for those overseas fighting to protect our freedoms. Since September 11, 2001, we have lost thousands of American men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan, while thousands more remain in those two war-torn nations. Their sacrifices must not be forgotten on this sacred day.

"Finally, we must reassert our resolve, that this nation will never allow itself to become a victim of terror. While we may suffer losses in our fight to rid the world of political terrorism, we will never falter and allow the principles that have guided the United States since our founding to be compromised or damaged. We must continue to hold self-evident that all people on this Earth are created equal, and that we are a nation that strives to protect the rights of all to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

"I pray that our country will never suffer such a tragic day again. However, I urge all Marylanders, in our time of silent reflection on this day, to believe in their hearts that, through any possible strife or struggle, our nation and our beliefs will endure."

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