In Memoriam: A 9/11 Memorial Speech in the Tradition of Gettysburg

Past events loom not large in the eyes of the present. Forgetfulness comes easily, as does the wish to forget—living in oblivion to all around us. And yet we cannot forget.

To forget the cost of lives ripped from this world unwillingly; to forget the sacrifice of men and women, who in effort to save lives lost their own; to forget the destruction, the chaos, the panic of that day—to forget at all is unforgivable.

Nine-Eleven lives every day—in the hearts, in the minds, in the Souls of all who are American. We can no longer bow our heads in passivity. We can no longer be defiant to a fault.

But we must, as this monument will, stand firm in our principles. And with confidence in our stride, with the Principles of Democracy as our guiding companion, with Freedom leading us onward—we will accomplish the purpose with our minds never forgetting September Eleventh.