It is so hard to believe that it has been 7 years since terrorists struck this country and declared war on the United States of America. Life has changed so much for Americans since then.

The innocence of my generation is lost. Now we look for suspicious people at airports, sporting events, and other events where there are large, televised gatherings. We remember the loss of life on September 11, 2001; lives lost simply because they were Americans or in America. We remember the sacrifices men and women are making each and every day to fight this War on Terror. We acknowledge each day that our troops are out in the world fighting for our freedom and our way of life.

While all the memories and images of September 11 are horrific, for me, there are two specific images that will haunt me the rest of my life. The first is watching people jumping out of the Twin Towers to end their lives. I simply am not capable of describing how those scenes affected me.

The second image that will haunt me the rest of my life is of a particular lady. I assume she is a black lady with braided hair pulled back in a larger braid. She was walking down the street in shock, and was covered completely with soot, as was everyone else. So it was impossible to identify anyone’s race with certainty. There was a man at her side assisting her. She is a not a victim but a survivor. To me she epitomizes the Spirit of America on September 11 and what I want it to be each and every day. You cannot really tell what the color of her skin is and it does not matter. That day we were all united by this tragedy. We were all united because we are Americans. That day we were all covered with soot. That day skin color did not matter. That day being male or female did not matter. That day one’s personal faith did not matter. None of the barriers that are typically used in our society to prejudge people mattered. That day all that mattered was that we were Americans, we were grieving, we were terrorized, and we were determined to survive and thrive.

While some things have slipped back to their old ways in the 7 years since that tragic day, many things will never go back. The Spirit of America not only survived but is permanently strengthened. As Americans, we are united in our resolve to maintain our freedoms to worship freely, to speak freely, to elect our government freely, and to go about our lives how we choose. We will not let the terrorists take our freedom from us and we will not let them alter our lives and the American Way of Life.

On that day when they attacked us and took so many lives, they won the battle for the day. But they started a war that has recoiled on them and they have lost countless ensuing battles as a result. We are winning the war. America is resilient and will continue to be strong.

The terrorists’ plans went far beyond the attacks of September 11th. But we have stopped them in their tracks. There are at least 20 foiled terrorist attacks that have been made public since 9/11. But those that we know of just scratch the surface. I’m sure that many, many more go unnoticed by the American public because announcing them would reveal important information to the enemy.

Because President Bush stood strong, improved the efficiency of domestic intelligence and law enforcement, led our troops, and took the fight to the terrorists overseas, there have been no more terrorist attacks on US soil since 9/11.

In just a few weeks, America will demonstrate her strength peaceably. We will elect new leaders in our government. We will do this without the fear of death as retribution for voting. We will make history either by electing the first black President or the first female Vice President. In January, we will demonstrate to the world that our country and our Constitution work by transitioning the power from one President to another President calmly, respectfully, and in an orderly fashion. That freedom is just another reason the terrorists want to wipe us out.

I am proud to be an American. I hope that I can continue to view my fellow Americans with the blanket of uniformity and unity that was unexpectedly thrown over us on 9/11. And I hope others will do the same. God Bless the USA, not just today as we pause to remember, but each and every day!

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