Unity Gathering
Day of Remembrance for the Victims of September 11
The University of Texas at Austin.
September 11, 2002
The very mention of September 11 evokes, for each of us, a stream of mental pictures: Images of fire and dust, of loss and sorrow and fear, images that still hurt, and others that still heal. But it is perhaps most remarkable that the essential images—those that have become icons of the tragic events—are not of destruction or hatred or vengeance, but of selfless heroism by unnamed citizens: The dust-encrusted, uplifted face of a helmeted firefighter; a line of rescuers streaming knowingly into hell; policemen, steelworkers, paramedics negotiating ruins in darkness in hope that they might yet save. Together, instinctively, we have elected to recall this tragedy first in images of the best within us. It is a heartening surprise.
Many have said that the attacks on that dark day forever changed us as a people. Certainly we are a more vigilant society, and we no longer take for granted our comforts and the privileges of freedom. But our resolve seems unshaken; our values remain intact; our respect for the worth of the individual and the principles of democracy hold firm. The national character that makes us a good and tolerant people is stronger now, though tested by fire. And for a year we have been helping one another to heal. As a nation, we have faced adversity, shouldered grief, and accepted the challenge of renewal. If we have been moved in any enduring way by this tragedy, it is in understanding now that we must be forever prepared for the call of national kinship: Where there is loss, we must remember. Where there is heartbreak, we must console. Where there is darkness, we must illuminate.
Never have I been more proud of this university than in the wake of last September 11. We responded with dignity and restraint, with prayer and compassion, with honor for the perished, and with faithful commitment to the knowledge and wisdom that enables people to remain human. We will be tested again. I pray now that we will have the strength to uphold the same values evermore.
Tonight we gather in this special place, where throughout the University’s history our large family has come together to cheer and to celebrate, to express our views and our right to dissent, to bow our heads in moments of unbelievable tragedy. On this day, let us renew our sense of unity and purpose as a civilizing community. Let us remember those who lost their lives last September 11. May all their loved ones find comfort in the blessings of a grieving nation. And may we all find solace in the notion that through this dark time we have not only endured, we have risen stronger, more certain of who we are and what we believe.
Now let us observe a moment of silence in memory of those who perished one year ago today.
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