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Address by Prime
Minister Jean Chrétien on the occasion of the National Day of Mourning in
Canada in memory of the victims of the terrorist attacks in the United
States
September 14, 2001
Ottawa, Ontario
Mr. Ambassador.
You have assembled before you, here on
Parliament Hill and right across Canada, a people united in outrage, in grief,
in compassion, and in resolve. A people of every faith and nationality to be
found on earth.
A people who, as a result of the
atrocity committed against the United States on September 11, 2001, feel not
only like neighbours. But like family.
At a time like this, words fail us. We
reel before the blunt and terrible reality of the evil we have just witnessed.
We cannot stop the tears of grief. We cannot bring back lost wives and husbands.
Sons and daughters. American citizens, Canadian citizens, citizens from all over
the world. We cannot restore futures that have been cut terribly short.
At a time like this, the only saving
grace is our common humanity and decency. At a time like this, it is our
feelings, our prayers and our actions that count.
By their outpouring of concern,
sympathy and help, the feelings and actions of Canadians have been clear. And,
even as we grieve our own losses, the message they send to the American people
is equally clear.
Do not despair. You are not alone. We
are with you. The whole world is with you.
The great Martin Luther King, in
describing times of trial and tribulation, once said that: "In
the end, it is not the words of your enemies that you remember, it is the
silence of your friends."
Mr. Ambassador, as your fellow
Americans grieve and rebuild, there will be no silence from Canada.
Our friendship has no limit.
Generation after generation, we have
travelled many difficult miles together. Side by side, we have lived through
many dark times. Always firm in our shared resolve to vanquish any threat to
freedom and justice.
And together, with our allies, we will
defy and defeat the threat that terrorism poses to all civilized nations.
Mr. Ambassador, we will be with the
United States every step of the way. As friends. As neighbours As family.
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