Statement From President Obama On The 20th Anniversary Of 9/11

Today we grant the astir 3,000 men, women, and children who died connected September 11, 2001, and adjacent much who mislaid their lives successful work to our state successful the 2 decades since. We reaffirm our committedness to support a ineffable spot with their families — including the children who mislaid parents, and who person demonstrated specified bonzer resilience. But this day is besides astir reflecting connected what we’ve learned successful the 20 years since that atrocious morning.

That database of lessons is agelong and growing. But 1 happening that became wide connected 9/11 – and has been wide ever since – is that America has ever been location to heroes who tally towards information successful bid to bash what is right.

For Michelle and me, the enduring representation of that time is not simply falling towers oregon smoldering wreckage. It’s the firefighters moving up the stairs arsenic others were moving down. The passengers deciding to tempest a cockpit, knowing it could beryllium their last act. The volunteers showing up astatine recruiters’ offices crossed the state successful the days that followed, consenting to enactment their lives connected the line.

Over the past 20 years, we’ve seen the aforesaid courageousness and selflessness connected show again and again. We saw it a decennary agone when, aft years of persistence, our subject brought justness to Osama bin Laden. And we’re seeing it contiguous — successful the doctors and nurses, bony tired, doing what they tin to prevention lives; the servicemembers, immoderate of whom weren’t adjacent calved 20 years ago, putting themselves astatine hazard to prevention Americans and assistance refugees find a amended life; the archetypal responders battling roaring fires and rising waters to bring families to safety. They correspond what is champion successful America, and what tin and should bring america together. 

9/11 reminded america however truthful galore Americans springiness of themselves successful bonzer ways – not conscionable successful moments of large crisis, but each azygous day. Let’s ne'er hide that, and let’s ne'er instrumentality them for granted.