Thank you for joining us today at Western Michigan University’s 9/11 Employee Memorial – a day where we share some thoughts, offer some prayers, and console ourselves and each other, but also a day to remember all those that died on this fateful day five years ago, and those that have died since in the battle to preserve our freedoms.

When the first committee convened almost five years ago, we had a shared vision – yet we had our own individual goals. Mine was that this peaceful place would serve as a sanctuary for individuals seeking comfort, needing spiritual rejuvenation, wanting simple reflection. A place were one could search for answers that might lessen the relentless question of - why?

If there are answers, I have not yet found them. Perhaps there are some that hate our freedoms – are frightened by our freedoms. Yet these are freedoms we have grown comfortable with, complacent with, indifferent toward.

Let us use this day, this place, to reflect on our freedoms. The freedoms to life - to liberty - the pursuit of happiness. And our other freedoms, as well. The freedom to hate those that revile us. Yet also the freedom to love those that do not know us. The freedom to destroy those that would destroy us. Yet also the freedom to embrace those that do not understand us. The freedom to condemn – but also the freedom to forgive.

A darkness has descended upon our world, yet I have hope that as we reflect on the freedoms to embrace, to love, to forgive – some day my children and your children, or at the least our children’s children, will enjoy that elusive dream of humankind:

Peace on Earth - Goodwill to All.