SPEAKUP

•Requirements: Names will not be withheld from letters to the editor or commentaries, even at the author's request.

faith, our stripes.

ever, marred our American spirit, our majestic stars and our boldly blazing

These terrorists have broken our buildings, crushed our stones, wrecked our skylines, stolen our family members, and raped our comfortable innocence. They have not, how- sky was devoid of airliners. The stars seemed a bit darker, the night a bit more serene, the world a bit more solemn.

Our flag flew at Fort McHenry to emphasize our strength. That same flag has graced the island of Iwo Jima, the halls of Philadelphia, and the surface of the moon. It is that flag that has shrouded many a great man's casket, from Kennedy to King, and veterans the country over. The colors are bold, like the citizens it represents. More than just a symbol, it has come to stand on its own as an entity of the American will to survive and succeed.

It has been America's destiny to be successful. That destiny is not some divine grant or religious endowment, but rather a rock-solid spirit of survival. It is that spirit that has sent rockets into space, put men on the moon, and built buildings that seemingly reached upward to touch the souls of mankind and heaven alike.

As surely as this sun will rise tomorrow, so too shall the eagle fly above the storm, so too shall the flag of America wave. For as long as we Americans are united, our enemies can never defeat us. They can try, but they cannot.

Many lives were lost, and many more may still be. They have not died in vain. Their deaths are of martyrs, of innocence. Our tears shed will forever stain our cheeks. The flag is of comfort, like the hand of a mother; let it lead us to confidence and victory.

God Bless America and the victims and their families in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania during these trying times. It is our ability as a nation to rise above adversity that keeps the dream alive.