Tribute to 9/11 victims

9/11. The day simply rents shivers down the spine. What if we were there either of the locations. Seven years ago it was at New York and Pentagon, USA. A band of murderous hijackers took around 3000 innocent lives in a series of coordinated attacks. The days that followed those terrorist attacks saw Americans everywhere come together on a scale we hadn't seen since the days of World War II.

Yes, there was anger — real, legitimate, understandable anger at the scenes we had all seen play out on our TV screens. But there was also a sense of resolve that this nation — and its people — would not be beaten down by terrorism or by anything else. There was a true spirit of camaraderie, a sense that we were all in this together, all on the same side, from our own neighborhoods, throughout our local communities, and across the country.

We won't forget, either, the terrible images of dozens of people jumping to their deaths from the towers, to escape fire, explosions and collapsing walls. Neither will the courage of fire fighters on that day be forgotten. Today, remembering, we pray for all of the families who lost loved ones on 9/11, one of America's most tragic days. And, as American service men and women remain deployed around the world, we pray that U.S. defenses are better able now to deal with the threat of terrorism on the American soil.