I received a request from a friend who asked with tongue-in-cheek and a touch of sarcasm for me to “… write down your speech to the nation, the day after 9 /11, 2001.”
This is the speech I would have given:
Good evening.
Today, America came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts.
These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos, retreat, and to break the spirit of America.
Japanese General Yamamoto said that the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 “awoke a sleeping giant." The terrorist responsible for this attack, and all terrorist, are herein “put on notice” that the attack of September 11th, 2001 awoke that same sleeping giant.
In regard to terror, America has been too complacent. These same murderous acts have extensively plagued other nations for a long time. However, in the United States, other than homegrown terrorism and the first World Trade Center bombing of 1993, we have had little experience with terrorism. We have been complacent because these acts happened somewhere else, and not on our homeland. Instead of complacency, we should have been uniting with other nations to combat terrorism against anyone, and anywhere terrorism occurs.
I apologize to the people of America for their governments failure to proactively respond to these events. Every Administration of the last century has failed in this regard to protect the American people from terrorist. From herein and hereout I don’t intend to let this happen on my watch.
We must engage in the patient work of coalition building, consensus building, and conceding the rights of the other nations in order to effectively combat terrorism. We cannot be intransigent. We have to, each nation, take responsibility individually and collectively for the welfare of our international community.
Our strength and our resolve lies in the condition of the American Spirit, which is united and strong. We will move forward as America always has to take steps to protect America and its people.
Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature. And we responded with the very best of America – the “Spirit of America” as displayed by the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring of strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could.
Immediately following the first attack, we implemented our government's emergency response plans. Our emergency teams are working in New York City and Washington, D.C. to help with local rescue efforts.
We first need to get help to those who have been injured, to those whose lives have been shattered, and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks.
The functions of our government continue without interruption. Federal agencies in Washington, which had to be evacuated today, are reopening for essential personnel tonight, and will be open for business tomorrow. Our financial institutions remain strong, and the American economy will be open for business, as well.
The search is underway for those who are behind these reprehensible, evil acts. I have directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities, as well as a request for the full resources of the intelligence and law enforcement communities of other nations and INTERPOL, to find those responsible and to bring them to justice within the boundaries of American and International Law. America will collaborate with the United Nations, uniting with them and in utilizing their Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy to further our efforts.
And on behalf of the American people, I thank the many world leaders who have overwhelmingly called to offer their condolences and assistance. I ask them to unite with America in combating this evil.
America will join with all those who want peace and security in the world. We must stand together in combating terrorism. I will keep America informed of our progress. I will report to the American people those who are responsible for this despicable and immoral act, and the actions we are taking to bring them to justice.
Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children who have been traumatized, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened.
John F. Kennedy said on June 10th, 1963 “The United States, as the world knows, will never start a war. We do not want a war. We do not now expect a war. This generation of Americans has already had enough -- more than enough -- of war and hate and oppression.”
“We shall be prepared if others wish it. We shall be alert to try to stop it. But we shall also do our part to build a world of peace where the weak are safe and the strong are just. We are not helpless before that task or hopeless of its success. Confident and unafraid, we must labor on--not towards a strategy of annihilation but towards a strategy of peace.”
We must now take dramatic but appropriate action to increase our security – decisive, viable actions that will not put America or its people in harms way.
In the words of Martin Luther King: “We shall overcome!”
Thank you.
Good night and God bless America.
