JOHN,
September 11, 2001, will always be known as one of the darkest days in American history.
2,977 Americans lost their lives in the 9/11 terrorist attacks—changing our nation and its people forever. It’s still difficult to come to grips with what happened that day. An unfathomable act of evil was carried out right here on U.S. soil, and for those of us who witnessed the horror unfold in real-time, we will never be the same. It’s a wound that never heals.
Where was President Biden on the 22nd anniversary of 9/11? He marked the occasion in Anchorage, Alaska—more than 4,000 miles away from Ground Zero.
For the first time since this horrific incident took place, a sitting president did not commemorate the tragedy at one of the attack sites or from the White House. To make matters worse, his remarks included odd jokes and false claims that he was at Ground Zero ‘the next day’ after 9/11.
Of course, he and his staff have their laundry list of excuses for his absence, but none of them add up. The victims’ families deserve to hear directly from the leader of the free world on this day every single year. It should truly be a drop-everything-else type of moment.
As for me, I am overwhelmed with admiration when I reflect on the heroes who emerged that day. It was an honor to attend the annual stair climb at the Sunsphere in Knoxville as we remembered the sacrifices made by our brave first responders. They put it all on the line to salvage whatever life was left amid the ashes, and we owe them a debt that can never be repaid. Perhaps the only thing we can do to express our gratitude is to follow in their footsteps and make every effort to help each other when it matters most.
We can’t continue to let this administration trample all over the things we hold sacred and dear. Let us remember this as we make important decisions about the future of our country.
Sincerely,
Tim Burchett
