President Bush’s Address a Year after 9/11 Tragedies

By Gabriella Delgado

On September 11, 2002, a year since the tragic terrorist attack on the United States of America, President George W. Bush addressed the nation. One could feel, in listening to this speech, as though the event occurred just yesterday.

President Bush began by addressing the tragedies that occurred on September 11th and how we will always remember those horrific sights. He speaks about how the last year has been a year of recuperation for those families affected, a year of soldiers being away from their homes due to their service for their country and it has been a year of remembering for all Americans.

Some of the topics President Bush mentions were that although many people had to deal with these difficulties in the last year we must also remember the courage of those who made sacrifices to help and save others, just as those police officers and firemen and women who ran into a burning building to save the lives of others. We have to remember the sacrifices of those civilians who fought hijackers to save the lives of others.

President Bush goes on to say that “We resolved a year ago to honor every last person lost. We owe them remembrance and we owe them more.” He explains how we owe it to them to live our lives in honor of them though our lives and the lives of their families and children.

President Bush goes on to remind us that our lives are precious and to value our lives and the lives of others unlike our enemies. He ends his address by reminding us what our cause is and how it is a greater one than that of our enemies: “Ours is the cause of human dignity; freedom guided by conscience and guarded by peace… That hope still lights our way.” President Bush was able to leave Americans feeling accomplished through reminding us that we still have much to do to honor those we have lost and to continue strengthening our country.