Senator Reid: Anniversary of 9-11.

Washington, DC - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the following remarks today on the floor of the U.S. Senate, commemorating the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks:

“Six years ago today, 2,974 men, women and children became innocent victims to a cowardice and hatred that we will never understand.

“I remember watching that day from the windows of the Capitol as smoke from the Pentagon pierced the clear air.  I remember the care taken amidst the panic to ensure that everyone was evacuated safely when word came of another plane heading our way.  I remember how our voices joined together to sing ‘God Bless America’ on the Capitol steps, which was our way of showing the country that its government was still whole.

“But what I remember most was how our nation stood as one.  The lines to give blood, stretching hours long.  The food and clothing banks, overflowing with donations.  The contributions pouring in – many giving more than they could afford – to help the families who had lost everything.

“And as our country stood as one, the world stood with us.  The headline of one European newspaper read: ‘We Are All American.’

“On this anniversary, and all those to follow, we must never forget the innocent lives we lost that day or the burden we bear for the freedom we cherish.  Yet we must always remember the endless well of compassion and rejection of despair that followed.  These past six years, we have faced great challenges.  But though our scars will never fully heal, our spirit will never be broken.  We are all American.”