It’s actually a very nice remembrance, right up till we get to the end 2nd paragraph, and completely at odds with his immediate thoughts on September 12, 2001
(White House) This week, we mark the eleventh anniversary of the September 11th attacks. It’s a time to remember the nearly 3,000 innocent men, women and children we lost, and the families they left behind. It’s a chance to honor the courage of the first responders who risked their lives – on that day, and every day since. And it’s an opportunity to give thanks for our men and women in uniform who have served and sacrificed, sometimes far from home, to keep our country safe.
This anniversary is about them. It’s also a time to reflect on just how far we’ve come as a nation these past eleven years.
Last year I gave Obama an A+ for a wonderful weekly address commemorating the 10th anniversary. Something looks familiar
This weekend, we’re coming together, as one nation, to mark the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. We’re remembering the lives we lost—nearly 3,000 innocent men, women and children. We’re reaffirming our commitment to always keep faith with their families.
We’re honoring the heroism of first responders who risked their lives—and gave their lives—to save others. And we’re giving thanks to all who serve on our behalf, especially our troops and military families—our extraordinary 9/11 Generation.
In fact, a good chunk of the 10th anniversary address and this years are virtually identical, with just enough changed to make them not exactly the same. I guess Obama’s speechwriters were too lazy to come up with something new. His weekly address for 9/11 in 2010 was similar, too.
Anyhow, let’s not forget that it was many Democrats who decided that the attacks were either caused or allowed to happen by President Bush.
On that clear September morning, as America watched the towers fall, and the Pentagon burn, and the wreckage smoldering in a Pennsylvania field, we were filled with questions. Where had the attacks come from, and how would America respond? Would they fundamentally weaken the country we love? Would they change who we are?
That makes an interesting contrast to his message of blame on 9/19/2001
“We must also engage, however, in the more difficult task of understanding the sources of such madness. The essence of this tragedy, it seems to me, derives from a fundamental absence of empathy on the part of the attackers: an inability to imagine, or connect with, the humanity and suffering of others. Such a failure of empathy, such numbness to the pain of a child or the desperation of a parent, is not innate; nor, history tells us, is it unique to a particular culture, religion, or ethnicity. It may find expression in a particular brand of violence, and may be channeled by particular demagogues or fanatics. Most often, though, it grows out of a climate of poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair.
“We will have to make sure, despite our rage, that any U.S. military action takes into account the lives of innocent civilians abroad. We will have to be unwavering in opposing bigotry or discrimination directed against neighbors and friends of Middle Eastern descent. Finally, we will have to devote far more attention to the monumental task of raising the hopes and prospects of embittered children across the globe-children not just in the Middle East, but also in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and within our own shores.”
Things are a bit different when one has to play the part of POTUS, eh?
We took the fight to al Qaeda, decimated their leadership, and put them on a path to defeat. And thanks to the courage and skill of our intelligence personnel and armed forces, Osama bin Laden will never threaten America again.
And most of that happened under George W. Bush, who made the tough decision to destroy al Qaeda, instead of navel gazing about what America had done wrong like Obama.
Instead of changing who we are, the attacks have brought out the best in the American people. More than 5 million members of the 9/11 Generation have worn America’s uniform over the past decade, and we’ve seen an outpouring of goodwill towards our military, veterans, and their families. Together, they’ve done everything we’ve asked of them. We’ve ended the war in Iraq (by following George Bush’s exit plan) and brought our troops home. We brought an end to the Taliban regime (under George Bush). We’ve trained Afghan Security Forces (mostly under Bush), and forged a partnership with a new Afghan Government (Obama has dissed Karzai multiple times). And by the end 2014, the transition in Afghanistan will be complete and our war there will be over.
Had Obama been in charge on that September morning, we would have engaged in a national time of blaming ourselves and bowing to the terrorists while offering to negotiate without pre-conditions.
And finally, instead of turning inward with grief, we’ve honored the memory of those we lost by giving back to our communities, serving those in need, and reaffirming the values at the heart of who we are as a people. That’s why we mark September 11th as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Because we are one American family. And we look out for each other – not just on the difficult days, but every day.
No, that’s why he marks it that way. As Matthew Vadum wrote
The Obama White House is behind a cynical, coldly calculated political effort to erase the meaning of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks from the American psyche and convert Sept. 11 into a day of leftist celebration and statist idolatry.
On September 11th, remember that there are people out there who would look to destroy America and kill her citizens. And remember that it was Democrats who decided to use September 11th to launch political attacks on George Bush for petty political gain. And remember that is the Democrats, and Obama, who look to polarize this nation.
Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU.
Read: Obama Mails It In For Weekly Address On September 11 »
