Washington, D.C. - 

Hon. Timothy V. Johnson

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I sat in the Speaker’s chair of the House of Representatives, presiding over the day’s measures. Soon after hearing news of the planes hitting the Pentagon, we adjourned amid confusion and fear. I sent my staff away, but for some time, refused to leave my office, hoping for some better information, a plan of attack, and most importantly, any bit of good news.

Five years later, I watch the footage of airplanes striking the World Trade Center and the Pentagon still with great sorrow. It will never be easy, and I will never forget. I will never forget the fear on the faces of my colleagues and staff as we wondered what dangers we might face, and I will never forget the sadness among my family and constituents when I was finally able to safely return home to Illinois.

Yet out of this great tragedy came a great spirit. For the first time in over a decade, we as a nation were united. We stood shoulder to shoulder for the family, friends, and comrades we had lost, and pledged to avenge their deaths. Beyond the many moments of silence and the millions of candles burned in their honor, we simply wanted to do something, anything, to help those families cope with their burden. It was at once both terrible and inspiring, an event that truly defined our future.

Since that day, we have moved on. We have moved on to other matters that seem more pressing. It is only healthy, to accept the loss and live life to the fullest. We should not mourn forever.

But have we moved on too quickly? That is the great question. Today, for most of us, is just like any other day. Our children go to school, we head off to work. Save another moment of silence, or a quick prayer, we try not to dwell on the sorrows of that day. It is, after all, five years later, and we have not been attacked again. Sometimes we even feel guilty for not grieving more. Does that mean we’ve forgotten?

It may seem as though your leaders have forgotten. We seem content to continue fighting with bitter rancor over who might control Congress after November. Discussion of September 11 in politics in any form is considered cheap, as if we remind ourselves of the horror of that day to score political points with you. I think you are smarter than that. The truth is that we in government take it very seriously, and rather personally, because it happened on our watch. And so we all choose our own way to commemorate that day.

To me, remembering September 11 isn’t about death or sadness; it isn’t even about terrorism. It’s about heroism. It’s about the firefighters and policemen and women who willingly entered those buildings as they stood on their last legs, knowing that moment could be their last. It is about the makeshift shelters and hospitals erected in schools and nearby businesses. It is about the hundreds of thousands of people who donated blood that day, or who traveled long distances to help. It is about the passengers aboard Flight 93, who, understanding their grim fate chose to alter it.

It is, in a word, about honor. I choose to honor those that have died as heroes. Instead of demanding a modicum of grief year after year, we should allow them to inspire us to do good, to fight for something we believe in, and to live our lives with purpose. That is the true legacy of September 11, and I will never forget.

###