Washington, D.C. - Mr. Speaker, just a short time ago, the sunlight shone from the heavens and brightened and warmed the names of the eleven beloved members of our county who perished in the awful attacks two years ago. That moment reflected how we will remember them: as eleven individuals, men and women who warmed the lives of their family and friends and brightened our entire community.
This beautiful memorial allows us--each in his/her own way--in solitude or in the company of others, to remember the eleven individuals who gave their lives to our country that day.
And as I read the beautiful passages inscribed on the benches, I was filled with great hope and great faith. For the inscriptions make clear that those who took the lives of the eleven souls two years ago utterly failed in their ultimate purpose. For where they sought to divide us, they have only strengthened our bonds. Where they sought to instill fear, they have seen resolve. Where they sought to sow despair, they have been met with faith. Where they sought to poison our hearts with hate, they have seen the strength of love.
And as the sun shining down on those eleven names has shown, where they first brought darkness, remembering them has brought light and warmth. And America will never forget.