REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11TH

It is still difficult to comprehend the full force of the tragedy our nation suffered on September 11, 2001 — the thousands who died, the families who lost loved ones, and the terrible blow to our country's sense of security and peace. It is even harder to understand what must have been in the hearts of the people willing to commit such atrocities against their fellow human beings.

In the two years that have passed since that fateful morning, we have begun to absorb the many lessons – some painful, others inspiring — that the attacks of 9-11 exposed. We learned the importance of remembrance. We cannot forget those who perished in the attacks on our nation, nor can we allow the memories of America's remarkable resilience in the days that followed to fade with time. That is why we will continue to commemorate those terrible events year after year. On the two-year anniversary of the attacks, we should all pause to remember those who died, as well as to give thanks for the heroic firefighters, police officers, rescue workers, National Guardsmen, doctors, nurses, members of the clergy, and volunteers, who rushed to the aid of those affected by the events.

As I visited both the wreckage at the Pentagon and the horrific ruins of the World Trade Center, I was reminded of Robert Burns''s words: "Man''s inhumanity to man/ Makes countless thousands mourn." Our nation mourned, and today we again mourn the horrific losses of that day. Yet, from the sadness and anger that gripped arose a new resolve to unite and fight. In the days following the attack, I saw this resolve first-hand in the men and women at the Pentagon, in the tireless workers conducting the grim search and recovery at the World Trade Center site in New York, in my colleagues and staff on Capitol Hill, and in the people of Maine.

We resolved two years ago to honor those who perished in the attacks. And the families and friends of those killed in those heinous attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in a Pennsylvania field, need to know that the prayers of Americans — and of millions upon millions of people around the world – continue to be with them.

But we owe them more. We owe them our commitment to build a world of security and peace. Our men and women in the military are working toward this goal in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and around the globe. I am proud of the job that they are doing. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I have had the opportunity to thank them in person.

Here at home, Americans can do their part to support these service men and women around the globe as they carry out their important mission. Simple gestures such as flying the flag or saying thank you to those in uniform can make a real difference.

And the United States government can do its part to provide those on the front lines here at homes — our firefighters, our police officers, our emergency rescue personnel — with the tools and resources they need to protect our communities. Since 9/11, Maine has received approximately $58 million in federal funds to enhance its homeland security by better training and equiping first responders, strengthening emergency planning, and improving bio-terrorism preparedness efforts. In addition to increasing funding for homeland security, I have been working to streamline and strengthen grant programs for first responders. That is why I introduced the Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act of 2003, which would authorize a one-stop program to provide compatible communications equipment, protective gear, and the hazardous materials detectors they need to prepare for and respond to a possible terrorist attack.

With the attacks, America lost a measure of innocence, a degree of that special separateness that has helped to keep our land of liberty safe from some of the storms that have long battered other peoples in an often turbulent world. We are clearly not as separate, nor as safe, as once we thought. But no one can doubt our resolve and our resilience. The special character of our great Republic shone through with particular brilliance in the wake of September 11th. It shone through in the sacrifices made by so many in helping our fellow citizens in terribly trying times. It shone in our commitment to the bedrock values that make our system of government worth protecting, even as these values draw the murderous ire of twisted souls whose only answer to the discourse of liberty is a vocabulary of violence, terror, and death.

While the attacks themselves will become more and more remote, the lessons we learned and the unifying of our nation that followed those tremendous acts of evil must remain at the forefront of our consciousness. Fortified by the adversity we have endured, with confident faith in ourselves, our resolve, and our mission, America will continue to light the world for generations to come.