September 11

I am proud to be an employee of the Environmental Protection Agency.

On September 11, 2001 EPA personnel valiantly and without hesitation responded to attacks at the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania. The day started with diabolical acts of terror. And was followed by extraordinarily selfless acts of heroism.

There is something in many of us, as human beings, which instantly responds to naked great wrongs with contrary great acts of kindness and sympathy.

Today we not only remember what happened on September 11, 2001, we are reminded again of the remarkable love that strangers can feel and give to others. We are reminded we are part of a larger community. We are all connected to one another.

This day bells throughout the District of Columbia will ring in remembrance. This reminds me of John Donne’s famous meditation:

"All mankind is of one author and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated. God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God's hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again for that library where every book shall lie open to one another. As therefore the bell that rings a sermon calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come, so this bell calls us all; Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

We triumph over terrorism and conquer the senseless tragedy of that horrible day when we celebrate the nobility of the human spirit and when we choose to intentionally act in service to one another.