PRINTER'S NO. 1326
No. 107 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY ROBBINS, BOSCOLA, ARMSTRONG, BELL, BODACK, BRIGHTBILL, CONTI, CORMAN, COSTA, DENT, EARLL, ERICKSON, FUMO, GERLACH, GREENLEAF, HELFRICK, HOLL, HUGHES, JUBELIRER, KASUNIC, KITCHEN, KUKOVICH, LAVALLE, LEMMOND, LOGAN, MADIGAN, MELLOW, MOWERY, MURPHY, MUSTO, O'PAKE, ORIE, PICCOLA, PUNT, RHOADES, SCARNATI, SCHWARTZ, STACK, STOUT, TARTAGLIONE, THOMPSON, TOMLINSON, WAGNER, WAUGH, WENGER, D. WHITE, M. WHITE, WILLIAMS AND WOZNIAK, SEPTEMBER 25, 2001
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, SEPTEMBER 25, 2001
A RESOLUTION 1 Commemorating and honoring the victims and heroes of the 2 September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on our nation and 3 commending the President and Congress of the United States 4 for taking all steps necessary to care for the victims and 5 their families, implementing measures to prevent future 6 incidents and working to bring the perpetrators to justice. 7 WHEREAS, On September 11, 2001, the people of the United 8 States were deliberately attacked without warning or 9 provocation, thus evoking another day that will "live in 10 infamy"; and 11 WHEREAS, Let us never forget the nature and character of this 12 cowardly and brutal attack in which individuals without 13 conscience turned the early minutes of a normal workday into a 14 vision of horror, with more American blood spilled on American 15 soil than anytime since the Civil War; and 16 WHEREAS, These senseless, inhuman acts have turned our 17 beloved, tranquil homeland into a scene of untold suffering and
1 destruction; and 2 WHEREAS, The World Trade Center became a tomb for American 3 Airlines Flight 11, carrying 81 passengers and 11 crew members, 4 and United Airlines Flight 175, carrying 56 passengers and 9 5 crew members; and 6 WHEREAS, United Airlines Flight 93, carrying 38 passengers 7 and 7 crew members, crashed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania; 8 and 9 WHEREAS, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the 10 Pentagon, killing 58 passengers and 6 crew members; and 11 WHEREAS, The unthinkable has occurred with the shedding of 12 American blood on American soil by commercial aircraft under the 13 control of suicide hijackers; and 14 WHEREAS, The bombing of Pearl Harbor nearly 60 years ago 15 resulted in the loss of 2,388 American lives; and 16 WHEREAS, America gave 3,393 of her sons on D-Day to liberate 17 Europe; and 18 WHEREAS, The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, are a 19 tragedy of epic proportions, with preliminary reports of 252 20 confirmed dead, 6,291 injured and updated reports of 6,453 21 missing in the destruction of the World Trade Center and 189 22 presumed dead in the attack on the Pentagon; and 23 WHEREAS, The President of the United States has called these 24 attacks of wanton aggression acts of war that will solidify our 25 resolve to defeat the forces of terrorism; and 26 WHEREAS, This is the latest in a long series of murderous 27 rampages committed against the United States and the world, 28 including: the October 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in 29 Beirut, the December 1988 bombing of the Pan Am flight over 30 Lockerbie, Scotland, the February 1993 truck bomb which crippled 20010S0107R1326 - 2 -
1 the World Trade Center, the August 1998 bomb attacks on the 2 United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the suicide 3 attack on the USS Cole in October 2000; and 4 WHEREAS, The attacks on the people of the United States are 5 attacks on the people of the entire civilized world as at least 6 62 countries lost citizens in the carnage at the World Trade 7 Center; and 8 WHEREAS, The world is outraged and shocked by such death and 9 senseless mayhem and there appears to be no limit to the malice 10 of those who must find some inconceivable satisfaction from the 11 slaughter of innocents; and 12 WHEREAS, Our national resolve has come together as never 13 before, for we, as one people, have a spirit that is solid and 14 impenetrable; and 15 WHEREAS, Over $200 million has been donated to date for 16 financial assistance and aid to the victims of the attacks; and 17 WHEREAS, Those who cause us harm will be brought to justice 18 in a world made smaller by the unity of all peoples of good 19 will; and 20 WHEREAS, We encourage all Pennsylvanians and Americans to 21 pray for peace, the end of conflict and comfort for the victims, 22 their brokenhearted families and our bruised nation, as we share 23 in the grievous losses of their loved ones; and 24 WHEREAS, In the days that have followed the tragedy we have 25 heard of people, most previously unknown to us, whose lives were 26 taken through these despicable acts. Let us celebrate their 27 lives and accomplishments as their loss will impoverish our 28 country in ways as of yet unknown; and 29 WHEREAS, We encourage support for our President, George W. 30 Bush, as he weighs the options before him and seeks wise counsel 20010S0107R1326 - 3 -
1 for the difficult decisions that must be faced by our country in 2 the months ahead; and 3 WHEREAS, We witness the prayer services, candlelight vigils 4 and spontaneous supportive actions of a grieving nation that are 5 a balm to wounded hearts across our stricken land; and 6 WHEREAS, Our duty is not to shrink, fearful of the future, 7 but to go boldly to claim our place as a leader among nations 8 and a people committed to freedom and justice; and 9 WHEREAS, We go forth affirming our cherished liberty and 10 freedoms and vow to rebuild an even better America and world; 11 and 12 WHEREAS, We go forth fulfilling the promise of the future 13 that was taken from so many as their sacrifice demands; and 14 WHEREAS, The intent of these horrific acts was to divide us 15 into irreconcilable parts, let us confound such terrorism and 16 come together as a nation and as a people as never before in a 17 spirit of tolerance and true compassion for the beliefs that 18 unite us are far more plentiful than the items that divide us; 19 and 20 WHEREAS, Even as our nation weeps for our murdered fathers, 21 mothers, sons and daughters, we will undertake the necessary 22 task of rebuilding and safeguarding our future; therefore be it 23 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 24 urge the President and the Congress of the United States and 25 this Commonwealth to commemorate every September 11 as a day of 26 mourning and remembrance; and be it further 27 RESOLVED, That the Senate extend its deepest sympathies and 28 condolences to the families and friends of the victims of this 29 terrible tragedy; and be it further 30 RESOLVED, That the Senate unanimously and unequivocally 20010S0107R1326 - 4 -
1 condemn those individuals and countries who played any part in 2 the shedding of innocent American blood; and be it further 3 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 4 the President of the United States, the presiding officers of 5 each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from 6 Pennsylvania. I25L82MSP/20010S0107R1326 - 5 -