Twenty-five years ago, we made a promise.
We would never forget.
Those of us who lived through September 11, 2001, haven’t forgotten. I don’t think we ever could.
We remember where we were. We remember the disbelief as the second plane hit. We remember watching the towers come down. We remember the Pentagon burning. We remember the passengers of Flight 93 who knew what was happening and decided they would fight back.
We remember the firefighters and police officers running up those stairs while everyone else was running down.
And we remember nearly 3,000 innocent people who went to work, boarded an airplane, kissed their families goodbye—and never came home.
But 25 years later, something troubles me.
An entire generation of Americans hasn’t forgotten September 11.
They never learned it.
They didn’t live through that day. They didn’t experience the fear, the anger, the heartbreak, or the extraordinary unity that followed. If we don’t teach them what happened, we have failed them—and we have failed those we promised never to forget.
We need to tell them the truth.
Terrorists are not cartoon villains. They are real. Evil is real.
There is no political grievance, ideology, or cause that justifies deliberately murdering innocent people. Terrorism should never be rationalized, sanitized, celebrated, or excused. Not here. Not anywhere.
America must always have the courage to protect itself. We must secure our country against those who would enter it to do us harm. We must confront terrorism wherever it threatens our people. We should never apologize for defending America or the Americans who call her home.
I also want our children to know what happened on September 12.
America stood together.
We weren’t Republicans and Democrats. We weren’t divided by race, religion, neighborhood, or background. We were Americans.
Flags flew from front porches. Strangers helped strangers. Churches and synagogues filled. First responders reminded us what courage looked like. Young men and women stepped forward to serve their country.
For a moment, we remembered that despite all our differences, there is far more that binds us together than separates us.
That is worth remembering too.
So today, 25 years later, we say their names. We honor the innocent souls who were taken from us. We honor the firefighters, police officers, first responders, members of our military, and ordinary Americans who showed extraordinary courage.
But we also keep our promise by making certain the next generation understands why we remember.
May God bless the families who still carry the pain of that terrible day.
May He give us the wisdom to teach our children the truth, the courage to call evil by its name, and the faith and fortitude to defend this extraordinary nation for generations yet to come.
God bless America.
We will never forget.