I hoped that I would never be alive to witness the events of this day. For decades, the soil of our country has remained unscathed from the terrorism that has scarred the recent history of Europe. That honeymoon period has come to a grotesque end.

The damage that has been inflicted on this country has been to use conventional means to strike at symbols — the World Trade Center as a symbol of commerce and the Pentagon as a symbol of America’s military power. These senseless acts will harm us, but not deter us from our role as the leader of the free world.

Our foreign policy of the 1990’s can be categorized not as that of a super power but as that of a police force. American power has been used chaotically and sporadically at the whim of previous Commander in Chief, rather than as a means of protecting and projecting our national interests.

One result of the recent election is that our nation is now led by mature leadership in the Executive Branch who understand that our role is not to respond to worldwide public opinion polls but to ensure our safety and our way of life.

These acts, while horrifying and catastrophic, are not overwhelming. As we recover, I hope that we will respond to them with the annihilation of the perpetrators and their collaborators.