Source: New York Daily News
People of all faiths died on Sept. 11, 2001, a reflection of the fact that the United States is a nation of diverse cultures and religions. First responders from the New York City Police Department and the Fire Department - including our sons - sacrificed their lives trying to rescue those trapped in the burning towers, irrespective of their faith, race or ethnicity. They risked their lives because they had a reverence for life and a commitment to the value of every human being.
After the horror of that day, we transcended all the barriers that separate us and as a nation; united; sought to find those who survived; rebuilt our lives, and then began to rebuild our city, a city long referred to proudly as "a melting pot."
What a tragedy that less than nine years later, by waging a campaign against building a Muslim cultural center near Ground Zero, some are seeking to use the rebuilding of downtown Manhattan to pour salt on old wounds - not heal them.