September eleventh was a day that never seemed to end. Hope had failed and love was lost, while evil stormed through the streets of America. It was a day in which loved ones, friends, co-workers, and security disappeared. Although the day was filled with paranoia and hatred, people found peace through performing heroic actions and looking up to a higher good. On this dark day in September, America stood up and said "no"ÃÂ to terror, even when terror stared straight into the nation's face. America cried as one, never yielding, never giving in, and never losing faith. All of America's other problems seamed irrelevant: there were no partisan politics, no black or white race, no right or wrong lifestyle. Just a united people with one will. The American nation was in unison, shouting that it would survive. Those who wanted to become heroes stepped forward, by working at a disaster site, giving blood so that another person may live to see another day, or by giving gifts of money to help facilitate organizations that were providing immediate assistance to those most affected.
English: U.S. Senator Russ Feingold spoke on the S...
English: Russ Feingold, United States Senator from...
English: Senator from Wisconsin, Russ Feingold.President Bush responded to this act of terrorism by stating "Make no mistake, the United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts."ÃÂ This determination for retribution is only natural at a time like this; yet we must understand that in order for America to recover and survive others need not experience downfall. There is a great hatred towards Arabs and Muslims being felt throughout America at this point in time. We must remember the very famous parable that we were all taught as children: "two wrongs do not make a right."ÃÂ By retaliating, one only provokes more anger and leaves more hearts torn and spirits to weep. One must realize that the sorrow, anger, and pain America felt on September eleventh will be equal to that of the families and citizens whom some wish to strike. Even following such devastation, we must realize that we cannot let hatred and revenge dominate our actions. We must not allow ourselves to be filled with the same hatred that causes terrorism, and people in general, to inflict pain and suffering upon those that they hate. In other words, as stated by, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, "The worst thing that we could do to reward our enemies is to compromise our commitment to civil liberties." Despite the horrific tragedy, life in America has continued. The sun has begun to rise and will continue to rise until it will one day shine over the world and it will see that we are one. We are Americans. We love our country. And we stand behind the principles of liberty upon which our country was founded. If peace is obtainable, America is the nation that will be able to attain it. Some day this devastating event will just be a story told in textbooks. Yet as Americans, we must remember that this story was written with American blood and sealed with America's tears as to help us prevent something of this unspeakable magnitude from ever happening again.
English: WI: Sen. Russ Feingold signs down as a Wo...
U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) speaking at Sena...
Russ Feingold, U.S. Senator from Wisconsin.