Remembering September 11 -- Unity.

We remember today as an anniversary of a terrible event that claimed the lives of thousands. The attacks of September 11 woke up our nation, brought to our attention a threat we had previously minimized. They united us in our common pursuit to bring about peace and justice to those whose actions brought us sorrow and confusion. Political pundits and talking heads complain today that that unity is lost, that in all of the political vitriol and mud-slinging we are witnessing today we no longer have that feeling of shared purpose. But I disagree; political differences aside, we are a nation united by a common thread, of purpose that goes beyond simple retribution even for the attacks we saw 11 years ago today. Our purpose is defined in our founding documents -- the pursuits of life, liberty, and happiness. Yet, even those without historical understanding of our nation's beginnings can tell you that we are indeed a country united. The ideal of America is stronger than any other force on this planet -- and no amount of political bickering, nor any physical attack, can bring our nation down, so long as the American dream endures. We must be careful in our reflections not to deify ourselves; ours is a nation of imperfections, and we must always strive for better days. Yet, we're also a nation of great promise. It took us more than two centuries to get where we are today, but we have passed the tests, lasted through many great challenges, and remain a beacon of hope to millions around the world. Today we reflect on those we lost, on the attacks that cost thousands their lives and millions more their peace of mind. We must never forget what happened -- and we must continue moving forward from that event, this day, and many others to come.