Our Darkest Day; Our Finest Hour
By Mayor Rudy Giuliani
On September 11, New York City suffered the darkest day in our long
history. The destruction of the World Trade Center, and the resulting
loss of thousands of lives, has broken our City's heart. But our heart
still beats and our City remains strong. We will emerge from this
stronger than we have ever been before.
This vicious, unprovoked attack on our City, and our Nation, demonstrates
the depths of human cowardice and cruelty. Yet the reaction of New
Yorkers to this tragedy has shown us the heights of human generosity
and courage. Within moments after the first plane struck, ordinary
men and women showed extraordinary bravery in assisting one another
to safety, even at the cost of their own lives. Our Fire Fighters
and Police Officers have personified courage, and though the losses
to their ranks have been terrible, they have set the example for the
rest of us by continuing to work with renewed vigor.
The Fire Department, in particular, has suffered greatly. More than
300 members of the Department are dead or missing as of this writing,
and we have already held funerals for three of the most beloved and
valued members of New York's Bravest: Chief Peter Ganci; First Deputy
Commissioner William Feehan; and Father Mychal Judge. These legendary
leaders and their many courageous fallen colleagues will never be
forgotten.
This tragedy, along with the nearly simultaneous bombing of the Pentagon
in Washington and the crash of a hijacked commercial plane near Pittsburgh,
has touched the lives of millions of people throughout our City, across
the Nation, and around the world. Family members, friends, and co-workers
have been suddenly taken from us. This enormous loss provokes our
sadness, and it also stirs a sense of outrage and anger. President
Bush is right to call this an act of war. He is also right to declare
that the terrorist enemies of the United States will face retaliation.
Basic justice - and the national interest - demand no less.
Yet even as we mourn our dead and prepare for what could be a long
and bitter war against an elusive enemy, let us always remember that
our greatest national strengths are our openness, our diversity, our
inclusiveness, and our freedom. These are the assets that our terrorist
foes seek to destroy, but these are also the values that will guarantee
our eventual and total victory. The people of the City of New York
will demonstrate that we are stronger than these barbarians. We are
not going to participate in group blame or group hatred, because those
are the sicknesses that caused this tragedy. Our City is going to
continue to honor its immigrant heritage. Through the strength of
our example, we are going to send the message that life in our City
goes on, undeterred. We will continue to embody the highest ideals
of America.
I have always had full confidence in the people of this City, and
that confidence has risen even higher as I have watched the behavior
of New Yorkers in the wake of this tragedy. They evacuated the scene
of destruction in good order; they almost immediately formed long
lines to donate blood; they have made generous corporate and individual
donations of money and supplies; they have offered welcome encouragement
and solace to the relatives of the missing and to our exhausted rescue
workers. We are a united City, and I have never been so proud to be
a New Yorker.
