We must never forget 9/11 loss, lessons

Dear Friends,

On Sept. 11, 2015, we marked the 14th anniversary of the deadliest foreign attack on American soil. On a bright late summer day, 19 terrorists killed 2,977 innocents in New York, at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pa.

Their intention was to break our spirit. In that, they failed. Americans rallied to rescue survivors, rebuild and fight back.

For me, the most important lesson of 9/11 is the enduring strength of the American people. As President George W. Bush said in the aftermath, “These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.”

At the World Trade Center, 1.8 million tons of steel and concrete were removed to make way for the National September 11 Memorial. In the four years since its dedication, more than 21 million people have visited.

Raül Labrador represents Idaho’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.