| Since
September 11, this nation's spirit has been weighted down,
our hearts literally heavy and aching with the pain of what
we witnessed, what we know so many families are experiencing,
and also with a sense of outrage at the loss of every innocent
citizen and every single person who went to work expecting
a normal day, every police officer who put themselves into
harm's way, every fireman who tried to save a life and lost
their own, the loss of emergency personnel. These losses are
felt by all of us in a very special, personal, and searing
way.
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| We cannot undo the grave events that took place
on September 11 or bring back the loved ones that so many
families lost or quickly restore the sense of security that
Americans took for granted. But with resolve and determination
we can take actions to root out those who perpetrated these
dastardly and heretofore unimaginable events. There should
be no question in the minds of those who are responsible for
these attacks, or in the minds of those who have aided and
abetted them, that the United States will take all necessary
and appropriate steps to respond and to prevent them from
undertaking additional attacks against our country. In keeping
with our very values that were under attack on September 11,
we must respond rationally and judiciously, not out of anger
and sadness.
We must provide the best security possible, the fullest
level of security we are capable of imagining - a goal that
is well within the reach of this country and well within
our capacity to afford it. But we must not realize security
at the expense our liberties: Our challenge is to balance
this nation's security with our freedoms, our rights, and
our liberties.
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