Leaders call for Americans to unite as they remember the 2,977 who died on 9/11
Political leaders have called for Americans to remember the unity the country showed after 9/11 as they addressed mourners at a memorial event.
Former president George Bush and Vice President Kamala Harris urged people to forget their differences as they marked the 20th anniversary of the attack.
Speaking in Pennsylvania, near the site where the United 93 aircraft was downed by passengers in an heroic effort to stop further atrocities, Bush condemned extremists ‘abroad and at home’.
He also praised the armed forces and defended his War on Terror, despite the recent resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Current President Joe Biden, who travelled from New York to Pennsylvania to attend the memorial and lay a wreath, also released a video message.
He spoke about the ‘true sense of national unity’ that emerged after the attacks, seen in ‘heroism everywhere — in places expected and unexpected.’
‘To me that’s the central lesson of September 11,’ he said. ‘Unity is our greatest strength.’
Bush, 75, was only one year into his presidency when the Twin Towers fell and he recalled how the events of that day 20 years ago changed the course of history.
In what some might see as a jibe against the last Republican president, Donald Trump, Bush urged Americans to reject prejudice and bigotry as they did after the terror attacks.
He said: ‘In the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks, I was proud to lead an amazing and resilient united people.
‘When it comes to the unity of America, those days seem distant from our own.
‘Maligned force seem at work in our common life that turns every disagreement into an argument and every argument into a clash of cultures.
‘So much of our politics has become a naked appeal to anger, fear and resentment.
‘That leaves us worried about our nation, and our future together.’
Bush said Americans could easily have turned on each other as they grieved the deaths of nearly 3,000 people but instead they rejected prejudice and hatred.
He added: ‘On America’s day of trial and grief, I saw millions of people instinctively grab for a neighbours’ hand and rally to the cause of one another. That is the America I know.
‘At the time when religious bigotry might have flowed freely, I saw Americans reject prejudice and embrace people of Muslim faith. That is the nation I know.
‘At the time when nativism could have served hatred and violence against people perceived as outsiders, I saw Americans reaffirm their welcome to immigrants and refugees. That is the nation I know.
‘At the time when some viewed the rising generation as individualistic and decadent I saw young people embrace an ethic of service and rise to selfless action. That is the nation I know. This is not mere nostalgia, it is the truest version of ourselves, it is what we have been and what we can be again.’
Bush invaded both Afghanistan and then Iraq in the aftermath of the attacks, leading to costly and brutal wars that are still ongoing.
He used the speech to speak directly to American service personnel and tried to reassure them that they had made a difference, despite Afghanistan falling to the Taliban again last month.
He said: ‘You have shielded your fellow citizens from danger. You have defended the beliefs of your country and advanced the rights of the downtrodden.
‘You have been the face of hope and mercy in dark places. You have been a force for good in the world. Nothing that has followed, nothing, can tarnish your honour. Or diminish your accomplishments. To you and to the honoured dead, our country is forever grateful.’
His message was echoed by Democrat Kamala Harris who spoke after him at the memorial event in Shanksville.
She commemorated the heroes who brought down a hijacked plane that was headed for the U.S. Capitol and praised the resilience of the American people, who came together in the days following the attacks.
‘In a time of outright terror, we turned toward each other,’ she said. ‘If we do the hard work of working together as Americans, if we remain united in purpose, we will be prepared for whatever comes next.’
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