September 11, 2009

Gov. Nixon's remarks on September 11, 2009

Eight years ago today, at 8:48 a.m. on a bright September morning much like this one, the unthinkable happened.

Terrorists hijacked a Boeing 767 heading from Boston to Los Angeles and flew it into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. About 20 minutes later, another hijacked jetliner bound for L.A. rammed the south tower of the Trade Center.

Less than an hour after that, a third jetliner took off from Dulles International Airport outside Washington D.C. and crashed into the Pentagon. Meanwhile, a fourth plane, United Flight 93, went down outside Pittsburgh, killing all aboard, after its passengers and crew fought the hijackers, thwarting another terrorist attack on our government.

Nearly three thousand people lost their lives that terrible day. It was an unthinkable act that sent waves of shock and grief across the nation and around the globe. It shakes us still, every time the anniversary of this attack approaches.

It has led us into a war on two fronts that grinds on, and a broader global struggle to uproot the brutal ideology and religious fanaticism that breed terror.

We have come here this morning to honor the memory of those who died on 9/11, 2001. The indelible images of chaos and disaster are seared into our brains: the planes hitting the towers, the fire and smoke, the twisted beams and the ash-covered survivors - make those eight years seem like mere moments.

We will never forget that day.

But we are also here to honor the courage and commitment of the thousands of men and women who go to work every day -- in barracks in Missouri, in tents in Afghanistan and in Humvees in Iraq -- to keep our nation secure. We honor the heroism of the firefighters, police officers and emergency responders who charged into the smoldering wreckage, putting the safety of others before their own.

We honor especially the sons and daughters of Missouri who have dedicated -- and in some cases given -- their lives to protect our nation from its enemies.

Just as 9/11 shattered our complacency about America's national security, it has permanently changed the way we think about our personal safety. It has changed the way we go about our ordinary lives - dropping our children off at school, shopping at the supermarket, taking a trip by air. It has altered our assumptions about who we can trust and who we can count on.

We no longer take for granted the blessings of living in the strongest and greatest democracy on the planet. We no longer take for granted the vigilance and sacrifice demanded to protect the things that matter most, because as 9/11 showed us, it can all be lost in a heartbeat.

A few weeks ago, I was trout fishing with my good friend, General Danner, down at Bennett Spring, a beautiful state park you've probably visited in Lebanon, Missouri.

As we stood quietly in the clear, cold stream, all the problems and worries that come with the job of Governor began to roll away with the morning mist. It got me thinking about what I cherish most in this life, what losses I might yet have to bear, and what the next life might be like.

Maybe that's because, to my mind, there's nothing quite as close to heaven as a clear Missouri stream full of fish.

Like any fisherman, I was prepared to lose a fly. Like any fisherman, I was prepared to lose a fish. Trout will try to keep you humble that way.

What matters most, of course, is our families.

Losing them would be unthinkable. Life without them would be unbearable.

I know the same is true for all of you here today. You want to do everything humanly possible, everything within your power, to protect the people you care about - your wives and husbands, sons and daughters, friends and neighbors.

But the evil in the world - the evil that brought down the Twin Towers on 9/11, 2001, and maims our soldiers with roadside bombs today - is not completely within our control.

Some of our military families here today, and at other 9/11 ceremonies around this great nation, have lost a loved one. They know the pain of bearing an unbearable burden.

Since I took office last January, I have had the sorrowful duty of issuing 14 proclamations to honor a fallen hero. We mourn each loss and pray for peace.

Let this remembrance today be a candle in the darkness for the victims of 9/11, for our fallen peace-keepers, and our troops still in harm's way.

To their families, we offer our unwavering support and deepest gratitude.

In closing, let us honor them with the words of the American poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay.

"My candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night. But ah my foes, and oh my friends, it gives a lovely light."