Dear Friend,

Today, 23 years after the devastation of September 11, 2001, we remember the thousands of lives lost in the attacks. We remember the first responders, some lost and some irreparably harmed. We remember and thank the service members who delivered justice to those who attacked us.

I was in New York City that day amidst the dust, fear, and horror. Watching the towers fall, wondering what might come next, we struggled to understand. Protected by ocean and fearsome power, many of us had never felt such vulnerability to evil.

Through the tumult, Americans saw each other, more so than ever before, as fellow countrymen. People lined up to donate blood, brought food to firehouses, and comforted families whose loved ones worked in the towers. We came together understanding a primal duty to look after one another.

It is my hope that, in teaching new generations about that day, we might tell our children that crisis inspired unparalleled compassion. We cared profoundly for each other, even during one of the darkest moments in our nation’s history.

In this deeply divided time, I hope that we honor the lives of those who died by choosing compassion over hatred and understanding over fear.

Sincerely,

Jim