Microsoft Word - Readings

ReadingbyPresidentBarackObama‐Psalm46



Godisourrefugeandstrength,averypresenthelpintrouble.

Thereforewewillnotfear,



Eventhoughtheearthberemoved,

Andthoughthemountainsbecarriedintothemidstofthesea;



Thoughitswatersroarandbetroubled,

Though

themountainsshakewithitsswelling.



ThereisariverwhosestreamsshallmakegladthecityofGod,

TheholyplaceofthetabernacleoftheMostHigh.



Godisinthemidstofher,sheshallnotbemoved;

Godshallhelpher,justatthebreakof

dawn.



Thenationsraged,thekingdomsweremoved;

HeutteredHisvoice,theearthmelted.



TheLORDofhostsiswithus;

TheGodofJacobisourrefuge.



Come,beholdtheworksoftheLORD,

Whohasmadedesolationsintheearth.



Hemakeswarsceaseto

theendoftheearth;

Hebreaksthebowandcutsthespearintwo;

Heburnsthechariotinthefire.



Bestill,andknowthatIamGod;

Iwillbeexaltedamongthenations,

Iwillbeexaltedintheearth!



TheLORDofhostsiswithus;



TheGodofJacobisourrefuge.



ReadingbyPresidentGeorgeW.Bush



PresidentLincolnnotonlyunderstoodtheheartbreakofhiscountry,healsounderstoodthecostof

sacrificeandreachedouttoconsolethoseinsorrow

Asbesthecould.



Inthefallof1864,helearned

thatawidowhadlostfivesonsinthecivilwarandwroteherthisletter:



"DearMadam:IhavebeenshowninthefilesoftheWarDepartmentastatementoftheadjutant

generalofMassachusettsthatyouarethemotheroffivesonswhohavediedgloriously on

thefieldof

battle.



Ifeelhowweakandfruitlessmustbeanywordsofminewhichshouldattempttobeguileyoufromthe

griefofalosssooverwhelming.



ButIcannotrefrainfromtenderingtoyoutheconsolationthatmaybefoundinthethanksofthe

republictheydiedtosave.





Ipraythatourheavenlyfathermayassuagetheanguishofyourbereavement,andleaveyouonly

Thecherishedmemoryofthelovedandlost,andthesolemnpridethatmust beyourstohavelaidso

costlyasacrificeuponthealtaroffreedom.



Yoursverysincerelyandrespectfully,

AbrahamLincoln



ReadingbyPeterNegron



MynameisPeterNegron.MyfatherPeteworkedonthe88thflooroftheWorldTradeCenter.



Iwas13whenIstoodherein2003andreadapoemabouthowmuchIjustwantedtobreakdown‐and

cry.Sincethen,

I’vestoppedcryingbutI’veneverstoppedmissingmydad.

Hewasawesome.



MybrotherAustinhadjustturned2whenhepassed.I'vetriedtoteachhimallthethingsmyfather

taughtme:howcatchabaseball,howtorideabike,andtoworkhardinschool.

Mydadalwayssaid

Howimportantitwas.



Since9/11,mymother,brotherandImovedtoFlorida.Igotajob,andenrolledin college. 



Iwishmydadhadbeenthere‐‐toteachmehowtodrive,askagirloutonadate,andseemegraduate

fromhighschool.



Andahundredotherthings

Ican’tevenbegintoname.



Heworkedinanenvironmentaldepartmentandcaredabouttheearthandourfuture.

Iknowhewantedtomakeadifference.



Iadmirehimforthatandwouldhavelikedtotalktohimabout

suchthings.



I'vedecidedtobecomeaforensicscientist.IhopethatIcanmakemyfatherproudoftheyoungmen

mybrotherandIhavebecome.



Imissyoudad.



ReadingbyNYGovernorCuomo



AsArchibaldMacleishwrote:



Therearethosewhosaythatthefreedomofmanandmindisnothingbutadream.



Theyareright.ItistheAmericandream.



In1941,PresidentFranklinDelanoRooseveltdefinedfortheworldthefourfreedomsonwhichthe

Americandreamisbased.



Thefirstisfreedomof

speechandexpression–everywhereintheworld.



Thesecondisfreedomofeverypersontoworshipgodinhisorherownway–everywhereintheworld.



Thethirdisfreedomfromwant–everywhereintheworld.



Thefourthisfreedomfromfear–anywhereintheworld.



Ourstrengthisinourunityofpurpose.



Tothathighconcept,therecanbenoendsavevictory.



ReadingbyJamesSmithandPatriciaSmith



MynameisJamesSmith,retiredNewYorkCitypoliceofficer.



Fiveyearsago,withmydaughterPatriciaatmyside,Itoldyou

aboutmywife

AndPatricia’smother,PoliceOfficerMoiraSmith,whoranintothetowerstime

Andtimeagaintosaveasmanypeopleasshecould.



Moirasacrificedallthatshehad‐andalltherichnessoflifethatlaidbeforeher,inordertosavejust

onemore

person.Moirawaskilledwhenthesouthtowercollapsed.



Sincethattime,Patriciahasblossomedintoalovely12yearold,theverypictureofhermother,withher

mom’ssmileandsenseofadventure.



Ourfamilyhasgrown.Patricia nowhastwolittlebrotherstoshareherzestfor

life.



Fiveyearsagowelookedbackandgavewordstooursorrow.Todaywechoosetorememberandshare

thejoyMoirabroughttousallandwevowthatshewillalwaysliveinourhearts.



Patricia:

Mom,Iamproudtobeyourdaughter.

Youwillalways

bemyheroandtheprideofNewYorkCity.



ReadingbyNJGovernorChristie



Today,asyoulookoverthewallsofremembrance,wewanttosharewithyouthewordsofthepoet,

MaryLeeHall,whowrote“TurnAgaintoLife.”



“IfIshoulddieand

leaveyouhereawhile,benotlikeotherssoreundone,

Whokeeplongvigilbythesilentdust?



Formysaketurnagaintolifeandsmile,nervingthyheartandtremblinghandtodosomethingto

comfortotherheartsthanthine.Completethesedearunfinishedtasksofmineandiperchancemay

thereincomfortyou.”



ReadingbyFormerNYGovernor

Pataki



Nowordscriedoutsofullyfromthebrokenheartofournationasthoseofapoemcalled"TheNames."

ItwaswrittenbytheUnitedStates'poetlaureate,BillyCollins,ayearaftertheattacks–anddedicated,

simply,tothosewhodied,andtotheirsurvivors.



Itslastversereads:



"Namesetchedontheheadofapin.

Onenamespanningabridge,

Anotherundergoingatunnel.

Abluenameneedledintotheskin.

Namesofcitizens,workers,

Mothersandfathers,



Thebright‐eyeddaughter,

Thequickson.

Alphabetofnamesinagreenfield.

Names

inthesmalltracksofbirds.

Namesliftedfromahat.

Orbalancedonthetipofthetongue.

Nameswheeledinto

Thedimwarehouseofmemory.

Somanynames,

Thereisbarelyroom

Onthewallsoftheheart."



ReadingbyFormerMayorRudolphGiuliani



Theperspectivethat

weneed,andhaveneededtogetthroughthelasttenyears,andtheyearsthat

remain,arebestexpressedbythewordsofGodasinscribedintheBookofEcclesiastes:



Toeverythingthereisaseasonandatimeforeverypurposeunderheaven: 



Atimetobe

born,andatimetodie;

Atimetoplant,andatimetopluckupthatwhichhasplanted.



Atimetokill,andatimetoheal;

Atimetoweep,andatimetolaugh.



Atimetomourn,andatimetodance;

Atimeto

casteawaystones,andatimetogatherstonestogether.



Atimetoembrace,andatimetorefrainfromembracing;

Atimetowin,andatimetolose.



Atimetokeep,andatimetocasteaway;

Atimetorender,andatimetosew.



Atimetokeepsilence,andatimetospeak;

A

timetolove,andatimetohate;

Atimeofwar,andatimeofpeace.



Godblesseverysoulthatwelost.Godblessthefamilymemberswhohavetoendurethatloss.AndGod,

guideustoourreunioninheaven.AndGodbl esstheUnitedStatesof

America.



ReadingbyDebraEpps



MynameisDebraEpps.



Ithasbeentenyearsanditfeelslikeitjusthappenedyesterday.



Mybrother,ChristopherEpps,workedonthe98thfloorofthenorthtower…and

Notoneholidayorbirthdaygoesby,thatmyfoursistersand

brotherandidon’t

Thinkabouthim.



Ourmothernevertakesoffthenecklacewithhispictureinit.



SomethingIhavelearnedinthesepasttenyearsisthatpeoplecomeforwardtohelpyouinyourhour

ofneed.Andtodaywethankyou.



Thepeopleofour

greatnation,ourfamily,friendsandneighborsatwork,Christophersatnexttohis

goodfriend,WayneRusso…theRussofamilymadeaspecialrequestthattheirson’snamebeputnext

tomybrother’snameonthememorialwall.Thathasmeantsomuchtoourfamily.



WhatI

understandnowisthatthe“forcesofgood”arenotjustinmovies,butallaroundus.People

reallydoreachouttocatchyouwhenyoufall.Ithasbeenablessing.



Christopherwouldhavelovedknowingthatthelovehegavesofreelytoothershasbeengiven

backto

us,inhisname.



ReadingbyFormerNJGovernorDiFrancesco



Therewasafamilyroomjustacrosstheway,wherefamiliesandfriends

Cametowritetheirthoughts,orleaveaphotoandsigntheirname.



Awoman,wholostherson,wrotebesidehispicture,“to

theworldhemayhavebeenjustoneperson,

buttome,hewastheworld.”



Afatherwrotethispoeminthescrapbook,andinscribedittohisdaughter.



“iftearscouldbringyoubacktome,

You’dbeherebymyside

Forgodcouldfillariverfull

WithallthetearsI’vecried.



IfIcouldhaveonewishcometrue,

I’daskofgodinprayer

Toletmehavejustonemoreday

Toshow

howmuchIcare.

Iflovecouldreachtoheaven’sshore,

I’dquicklycomeforyou.

Myheartwouldbuildabridgeoflove,

Onewideenoughfortwo.



ReadingbyMayorBloomberg



Thankyouallforhelpingusmarkthistenthanniversary.



The9/11Memorial,whichopenstoday,

isbuiltasaplacewherewecantouchthefaceofhistory…and

thenamesofallthosewelost.



Wealsoremember,thatoutofadayofunspeakablehorror,cameanendlessoutpouringofhuman

kindnessthatreaffirmedourconnectiontooneanother.



Itwillguideus

aswegoforward.



ThegreatAmericanwriterJamesBaldwin,wrote:



“Generationsdonotceasetobeborn…



…andweareresponsibletothembecausewearetheonlywitnessestheyhave.



Thesearises,

Thelightfails,

Loversclingtoeachother,

Andchildrenclingtous.



Themomentweceasetoholdeachother…

Themomentwebreakfaithwithoneanother...

Theseaengulfsusandthelightgoesout.”

