Author: Ernest Gregory
The President Biden administration on Sunday commemorated the anniversary of the dreaded 9/11 attack that happened twenty-one years ago.
US Celebrates 9/11 Terror Victims With Events in NYC, Pentagon, and Pennsylvania
Twenty-one years after the events of the Sept. 9/11 attacks, President Biden honored the aftermath of the deadliest terrorist attack in the nation’s history. Americans nationwide remembered the fallen and vowed to always remember “the precious lives stolen on that day”
“I know for everyone present today who lost someone dear, twenty-one years is both a lifetime and no time at all,” Mr. Biden said.
“It’s best to remember. It’s through the memories we heal. But the memories can also reopen old wounds and worlds of hurt we thought we’ve left behind.”
Members of the Biden’s administration spread out and visited memorial sites of the three attacks – the Pentagon, Lower Manhattan, and Shanksville – to commemorate with emergency workers and the families of the nearly 3000 victims who mourn the bonds, memories, and experiences stolen from them by the attack.
President Biden also encouraged Americans during his speech to safeguard the country’s democratic system, citing a message that the nation’s institutions face threats brought about by forces of domestic extremism.
“The fight for democracy isn’t won by standing up once every year or whenever a threat looms, President Biden said.
“It is a duty we must perform each day of our lives. Today isn’t only a day for remembrance, but also a day for renewal and purpose for each one of us”
The first lady, Mrs. Jill Biden, celebrated the day in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and spoke about the pain she went through realizing her sister, who was a flight attendant, could have lost co-workers during the attack.
“When I got to her home, I found out that I was right. She hadn’t lost only colleagues: she lost friends too,” Mrs. Biden said.
“As we realized more on that fateful day, she felt proud for what had happened here – that it was her co-flight attendants and passengers on the United 93 that fought and stopped the plane from claiming more lives in the nation’s capital.”
Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff were at the silent procession held in New York, but by custom couldn’t speak. The procession focuses on victims’ families reading the names of the dead aloud.
They stood and watched as family members and friends raised photos of their lost ones while some lifted roses and American flags.
Following the honor guard’s entry, the national anthem was sung, and everyone with a picture of a loved one raised it to the sky in memory of the dead.
President Biden on Sunday said that it is still the aim of his administration to hold the forces responsible for the attacks, mentioning the killing of al-Qaeda’s leader, Mohammed al-Zawahiri, that took place last month.
“Our duty to prevent another attack on American grounds will never end,” the president said.
Final Word
Sunday marks the day we celebrate our dear ones lost in the attacks. Apart from the processions held in New York, the Pentagon, and Pennsylvania – other communities across the United States celebrated the day with interfaith services, candlelight vigils, and mass commemorations.