[Untitled]

News media

On September 11 I lost my friend, Captain Orio Palmer, first man up in the North Tower that morning. My youngest son and I also spoke with a woman on the Pennsylvania flight, offering information and encouragement.

We were amongst those who had contact with the future hijackers....and we recognized terrorism and the urgent need to respond. For us, 9/11 has been but one attack, one event in a series. Somehow my family and I are caught personally and repeatedly. People sometimes ask us why we think we are singled out, because clearly we were. Some people think we must invite it, or that we imagine it.

9/11 was an assault on everyone in our country and an attempt to rule through terror. It was a very personal attack on some of us, who lost our friends and lovers, our family members, our children.

Terrorism has taken too much of my life

I will remember that there is no one who can take the place of any of us. This year, I extend my compassion to the others amongst us who are also caught up, because I know that it is still going on even as we struggle to be free of it.