I mourn. I mourn for my uncle who was killed on September 11, 2001
in the World Trade Center and for the thousands of others who were killed that
day in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.
in the World Trade Center and for the thousands of others who were killed that
day in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.
I also mourn for the people who killed them and who took their own
lives on that day, the people who were so blinded in desperation that they saw
mass murder as their best option.
lives on that day, the people who were so blinded in desperation that they saw
mass murder as their best option.
I mourn for our soldiers: for those who died fighting and those who
have survived yet lost a piece of themselves doing what we pay them to do.
have survived yet lost a piece of themselves doing what we pay them to do.
I mourn for the people of Iraq, especially for the people I was
fortunate enough to meet when I travelled to their country two months before the
start of the war. I will never know their destiny; I won’t know who survived
and who perished, so I mourn for all of them.
fortunate enough to meet when I travelled to their country two months before the
start of the war. I will never know their destiny; I won’t know who survived
and who perished, so I mourn for all of them.
I mourn the death of a dream. This dream was given life in the
weeks following September 11th when we experienced sympathy and condolences and
support from strangers around the world. They gave me hope that our country
could learn from our suffering and that we would seek healing and solutions
rather than rage out looking for revenge. That dream died and its tomb was
sealed when I heard President Bush declare victory in a war that we fight to
this day.
weeks following September 11th when we experienced sympathy and condolences and
support from strangers around the world. They gave me hope that our country
could learn from our suffering and that we would seek healing and solutions
rather than rage out looking for revenge. That dream died and its tomb was
sealed when I heard President Bush declare victory in a war that we fight to
this day.
However, today, as I prepare for Easter next weekend, as I look out
at all of you gathered here and think of the others attending similar events to
commemorate this second anniversary of our war, a new dream is given life. You
give me hope that we can find strength and preseverance to demand that our
leaders stop cowering behind gunfire and start guiding us down the difficult
road to peace. I have hope that we can rise out of our history of
violence.
at all of you gathered here and think of the others attending similar events to
commemorate this second anniversary of our war, a new dream is given life. You
give me hope that we can find strength and preseverance to demand that our
leaders stop cowering behind gunfire and start guiding us down the difficult
road to peace. I have hope that we can rise out of our history of
violence.
I have hope for resurrection.
For an audio file of Kathleen’s speech please click here.
