Former president George W. Bush says days of unity seem 'distant'
THE UNITED STATES, GEORGE W.
BUSH
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> THANK YOU
THANK YOU, ALL
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
LAURA AND I ARE HONORED TO BE
WITH YOU
MADAM VICE PRESIDENT, VICE
PRESIDENT CHENEY, GOVERNOR
WOLFE, SECRETARY HOLLAND AND
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, 20 YEARS
AGO, WE ALL FOUND, IN DIFFERENT
WAYS, IN DIFFERENT PLACES, BUT
ALL AT THE SAME MOMENT THAT OUR
LIVES WOULD BE CHANGED FOREVER
THE WORLD WAS LOUD WITH CARNAGE
AND SIRENS
AND IN QUIET WITH MISSING VOICES
THAT WOULD NEVER BE HEARD AGAIN.
THESE LIVES REMAIN PRECIOUS TO
OUR COUNTRY AND INFINITILY
PRECIOUS TO MANY OF YOU.
TODAY, WE REMEMBER YOUR LOSS, WE
SHARE YOUR SORROW, AND WE HONOR
THE MEN AND WOMEN YOU HAVE LOVED
SO LONG AND SO WELL.
FOR THOSE TOO YOUNG TO RECALL
THAT CLEAR, SEPTEMBER DAY, IT IS
HARD TO DESCRIBE THE MIX OF
FEELINGS WE EXPERIENCED.
THERE WAS HORROR AT THE SCALE --
THERE WAS HORROR AT THE SCALE OF
DESTRUCTION, AND AWE AT THE
BRAVERY AND KINDNESS THAT ROSE
TO MEET IT
THERE WAS SHOCK AT THE AUDACITY
OF EVIL, AND GRATITUDE FOR THE
HEROISM AND DECENCY THAT OPPOSED
IT
THE SACRIFICE OF THE FIRST
RESPONDERS, IN THE MUTUAL AID OF
STRANGERS, IN THE SOLIDARITY OF
GRIEF AND GRACE, THE ACTIONS OF
AN ENEMY REVEALED THE SPIRIT OF
A PEOPLE
AND WE WERE PROUD OF OUR WOUNDED
NATION
IN THESE MEMORIES, THE PASSENGER
S AND CREW OF FLIGHT 93 MUST
ALWAYS HAVE AN HONORED PLACE
HERE THE INTENDED TARGETS BECAME
THE INFAMOUS OF RESCUE, AND MANY
WHO ARE NOW ALIVE OWE A DEBT TO
THE SKIES ABOVE THIS FIELD
IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE TO
IDEALIZE THE EXPERIENCE OF THOSE
TERRIBLE EVENTS.
ALL THAT PEOPLE COULD
IMMEDIATELY SEE WAS THE BRUTE
RANDOMNESS OF DEATH.
ALL MANY COULD FEEL WAS UNEARNED
SUFFERING.
ALL THAT MANY COULD HEAR WAS
GOD'S TERRIBLE SILENCE
THERE ARE MANY WHO STILL
STRUGGLE WITH A LONELY PAIN THAT
CUTS DEEP WITHIN
IN THOSE FATEFUL HOURS, WE
LEARNED OTHER LESSONS AS WELL.
WE SAW THAT AMERICANS WERE
VULNERABLE, BUT NOT FRAGILE,
THAT THEY POSSESS A CORE OF
STRENGTH THAT SURVIVES THE WORST
THAT LIFE CAN BRING.
WE LEARNED THAT BRAVERY IS MORE
COMMON THAN WE IMAGINED,
EMERGING WITH SUDDEN SPLENDOR IN
THE FACE OF DEATH.
WE VIVIDLY FELT HOW EVERY HOUR
WITH OUR LOVED ONES WAS A
TEMPORARY AND HOLY GIFT, AND WE
FOUND THAT EVEN THE LONGEST DAYS
END.
MANY OF US HAVE TRIED TO MAKE
SPIRITUAL SENSE OF THESE EVENTS.
THERE IS NO SIMPLE EXPLANATION
FOR THE MIX OF PROVIDENCE AND
HUMAN WILL THAT SETS THE
DIRECTION OF OUR LIVES
BUT COMFORT CAN COME FROM A
DIFFERENT SORT OF KNOWLEDGE.
AFTER WE WERE WANDERING, LONG
AND LOST IN THE DARK, MANY HAVE
FOUND THEY WERE ACTUALLY WALKING
STEP BY STEP TOWARD GRACE.
AS A NATION, OUR ADJUSTMENTS
HAVE BEEN PROFOUND
MANY AMERICANS STRUGGLE TO
UNDERSTAND WHY AN ENEMY WOULD
HATE US WITH SUCH ZEAL
THE SECURITY MEASURES
INCORPORATED INTO OUR LIVES ARE
BOTH SOURCES OF COMFORT AND
REMINDERS OF OUR VULNERABILITY
AND WE HAVE SEEN GROWING
EVIDENCE THAT THE DANGERS TO OUR
COUNTRY CAN COME NOT ONLY ACROSS
BORDERS, BUT FROM VIOLENCE THAT
GATHERS WITHIN
THERE IS LITTLE CULTURAL OVERLAP
BETWEEN VIOLENT EXTREMISTS
ABROAD AND VIOLENT EXTREMISTS AT
HOME
BUT THEN THERE'S DISDAINFUL
PLURALISM, IN THEIR DISREGARD
FOR HUMAN LIFE, IN THEIR
DETERMINATION TO DEFILE NATIONAL
SYMBOLS.
THEY ARE CHILDREN OF THE SAME
FOUL SPIRIT, AND IT IS OUR
CONTINUING DUTY TO CONFRONT
THEM
AFTER 9/11, MILLIONS OF BRAVE
AMERICANS STEPPED FORWARD AND
VOLUNTEERED TO SERVE IN THE
ARMED FORCES
THE MILITARY MEASURES TAKEN OVER
THE LAST 20 YEARS TO PURSUE
DANGERS AT THEIR SOURCE HAVE LED
TO DEBATE.
BUT ONE THING IS CERTAIN
WE OWE AN ASSURANCE TO ALL WHO
HAVE FOUGHT OUR NATION'S MOST
RECENT BATTLES
LET ME SPEAK DIRECTLY TO
VETERANS AND PEOPLE IN UNIFORM
THE CAUSE YOU PURSUED AT THE
CALL OF DUTY IS THE NOBLEST
AMERICA HAS TO OFFER
YOU HAVE SHIELDED YOUR FELLOW
CITIZENS FROM DANGER
YOU HAVE DEFENDED THE BELIEFS OF
YOUR COUNTRY AND ADVANCED THE
RIGHTS OF THE DOWNTRODDEN.
YOU HAVE BEEN THE FACE OF HOPE
AND MERCY IN DARK PLACES
YOU HAVE BEEN A FORCE FOR GOOD
IN THE WORLD
NOTHING THAT HAS FOLLOWED,
NOTHING, CAN TARNISH YOUR HONOR
OR DIMINISH YOUR
ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
TO YOU AND TO THE HONORED DEAD,
OUR COUNTRY IS FOREVER GRATEFUL.
[ APPLAUSE ]
IN THE WEEKS AND MONTHS
FOLLOWING THE 9/11 ATTACKS, I
WAS PROUD TO LEAD AN AMAZING,
RESILIENT PEOPLE
WHEN IT COMES TO THE UNITY OF
AMERICA, THOSE DAYS SEEM DISTANT
FROM OUR OWN
MALIGNED FORCE SEEMS AT WORK IN
OUR COMMON LIFE THAT TURNS EVERY
DISAGREEMENT INTO AN ARGUMENT,
AND EVERY ARGUMENT INTO A CLASH
OF CULTURES.
SO MUCH OF OUR POLITICS HAS
BECOME A NAKED APPEAL TO ANGER,
FEAR AND RESENTMENT.
THAT LEAVES US WORRIED ABOUT OUR
NATION AND OUR FUTURE TOGETHER
I COME WITHOUT EXPLANATIONS OR
SOLUTIONS.
I CAN ONLY TELL YOU WHAT I'VE
SEEN
ON AMERICA'S DAY OF TRIAL AND
GRIEF, I SAW MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
INSTINCTIVELY GRAB FOR A
NEIGHBOR'S HAND AND RALLY TO THE
CAUSE OF ONE ANOTHER
THAT IS THE AMERICA I KNOW
[ APPLAUSE ]
AT A TIME WHEN RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY
MIGHT HAVE FLOWED FREELY, I SAW
AMERICANS REJECT PREJUDICE AND
EMBRACE PEOPLE OF MUSLIM FAITH
THAT IS THE NATION I KNOW.
[ APPLAUSE ]
AT A TIME WHEN NATIVISM COULD
HAVE STIRRED HATRED AND VIOLENCE
AS PEOPLE PERCEIVED AS OUTSIDER
S, I SAW AMERICANS REAFFIRM
THEIR WELCOME TO FOREIGNERS AND
REFUGEES
THAT IS THE NATION I KNOW.
[ APPLAUSE ]
AT A TIME WHEN SOME VIEWED THE
RISING GENERATION AS DECADENT, I
SAW YOUNG PEOPLE EMBRACE AN EPIC
OF SERVICE AND RISE TO SELFLESS
ACTION
THAT IS THE NATION I KNOW.
[ APPLAUSE ]
THIS IS NOT MERE NOSTALGIA
IT IS THE TRUEST VERSION OF
OURSELVES.
IT IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN AND WHAT
WE CAN BE AGAIN.
20 YEARS AGO, TERRORISTS CHOSE A
RANDOM GROUP OF AMERICANS ON A
ROUTINE FLIGHT TO BE COLLATERAL
DAMAGE IN A SPECTACULAR ACT OF
TERROR
THE 33 PASSENGERS AND 7 CREW OF
FLIGHT 93 COULD HAVE BEEN ANY
GROUP OF CITIZENS SELECTED BY
FATE
IN A SENSE, THEY STOOD IN FOR US
ALL.
THE TERRORISTS SOON DISCOVERED
THAT A RANDOM GROUP OF AMERICANS
IS AN EXCEPTIONAL GROUP OF
PEOPLE
FACING AN IMPOSSIBLE
CIRCUMSTANCE, THEY COMFORTED
THEIR LOVED ONES BY PHONE,
BRACED EACH OTHER FOR ACTION,
AND DEFEATED THE DESIGNS OF
EVIL
THESE AMERICANS WERE BRAVE,
STRONG AND UNITED IN WAYS THAT
SHOCKED THE TERRORISTS, BUT
SHOULD NOT SURPRISE ANY OF US.
THIS IS THE NATION WE KNOW
[ APPLAUSE ]
AND WHENEVER WE NEED HOPE AND
INSPIRATION, WE CAN LOOK TO THE
SKIES AND REMEMBER