Remembering 9/11: A Triumph of Hope Over Hatred

This year, we mark the fifth anniversary of September 11, 2001.  On that day, America suffered the worst attack ever on our homeland, and more than 90 nations lost innocent citizens of their own.  Now and into the future, the events of that September morning will be marked and remembered and given unique meaning by all Americans.
 
For those who lost friends, and family, and fellow citizens, September 11 will forever be a day to mourn these innocent lives cut tragically short.
 
For those who watched the images of terror on television screens across the country, September 11 will forever evoke vivid memories of tragedy - but also memories, equally vivid, that restore our faith in human goodness: the many nations that rallied to our side, and the many ordinary citizens, lifted by courage and compassion, to acts of unmatched heroism. 
 
And for those future generations, looking back on that day from the vantage point of history, September 11 will forever be a story of hope triumphing over hatred: a day when the principles of liberty, and democracy, and human rights were attacked but not defeated–and when the defense of these universal principles inspired a great coalition of countries to wage a new kind of war, and more importantly, to summon a vision of hope that can defeat the violent ideology of hatred that attacked us five years ago.
 
It is this hopeful story of liberty and justice that we work to advance today.  Yes, America is a nation at war, but it is a new and unprecedented kind of war.  This is a conflict of ideas and principles.  In this conflict, America stands for tolerance, and moderation, and respect for human difference.  We stand for freedom and equality, peace and opportunity for all people.  And to all who share these aspirations and want them to be realized–we call you our ally in the fight against terror and hopelessness.
 
In this fight, there will be successs and also setbacks, times of triumph but also times of great challenge and difficulty.  But in the end, this is a struggle that we must win–and a struggle that we will win.