Statement on September 11th Commemoration

Statement

Statement on September 11th Commemoration

"Seven years after that terrible Tuesday morning, the echoes of September 11, 2001 still reverberate. Today, Americans everywhere, in large gatherings or solitary reflection, in Bishop Square or here in the U.S. Capitol, pause to remember, to honor, perhaps to mourn, but also to express gratitude.

"The selfless courage and the sacrifice of so many on that day: police officers, fire fighters and emergency medical technicians, have made September 11th an appropriate time to recognize and commemorate their service; and in Hawaii, to say mahalo nui loa to our own first responders: the Honolulu Police Department, Honolulu Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services.

"Across the country today, people will ask whether we've done everything we should to make ourselves safer. Others will wonder if we've gone too far. The dynamic tension between the two questions is critical to our future. 9/11 changed the life, directly or indirectly, of every American. Yet, its full and lasting impact will be measured, not just by how we make ourselves more secure, but whether we do so without endangering the individual freedoms that have always defined us."

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