President Joe Biden marked the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks by calling on Americans to reject division, instead finding ways to come together in the name of unity.
In a nationally televised address on Wednesday from the White House, Biden said the focus should be on the “unbroken spirit” Americans have kept since the day two planes crashed into the World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York City, one crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia and another in a Pennsylvania field.
Biden recalled the unique unity that developed in the days, weeks, months and years that followed, as he thanked the heroes who responded with courage and compassion that day. He also expressed his admiration for those that have served in the military since — including through today’s deployment of U.S. troops to the Middle East to fight terrorism.
The president said that it is now up to the survivors, the families of those lost, and the American public to honor their memories and work together for unity.
“As a nation, we are living through a season of darkness – a pandemic that has taken hundreds of thousands of lives, taken economic ruin, and revealed the deep divisions in our country,” Biden said.
“But tonight, Americans are still bound by the values that brought us together that day — a belief that no force on earth can tear us apart,” he continued. “Let’s honor their memory by once again finding our common ground, by embracing our common purpose, and by renewing the true spirit of America — the spirit of unity.”
