The terrible tragedy of last Tuesday has sent a chill down the spine ofAmerica. A chill that has frozen the spirit of our democracy. As we attempt
to sort through this inconceivable disaster, we must remember that this
attack was an attack upon the values and passion of our democracy. As
unfathomable as this may seem, there are people in this world who hate
America and its citizens simply for being Americans. There are nations who
have driven their citizens to moral bankruptcy through dicatorship,
communism and civil war. In this time of trauma for our nation, we must
remember that the driving motivation behind the action of America is good.
In all aspects of American life, this spirit lingers. In football, there is no
greater feeling than watching an underdog hold his own against a National
Champion. In school, we appreciate and foster the attempts and
accomplishments of our classmates. In our daily lives, we are willing to help
those less fortunate than ourselves. Yes, there are people who despise these
qualities in our society. However, the answer to these attacks upon our
democracy should not be answered with weakness. We must join together to
further promote the interests of democracy and civil liberty in this nation
and in all of the nations of the world. We are not wrong_the sinister forces
who coordinated this attack upon the American people are wrong. The sorrow
that fills our hearts must be converted into determination to further
enhance the principles of this nation.
We should not turn our anger towards Americans. We should not turn our
anger towards anyone living in America, citizen or resident. Approximately 4
percent of Mississippi State University’s student body is composed of
students from foreign countries. These are people who have come to this
nation, to Mississippi, to Mississippi State University because they value the
spirit of our law and the spirit of our people. We must never forget that
America is a nation of immigrants. My grandfather came to New York from
Germany as a young man. Not long thereafter, he fought against Nazi
Germany for the same ideals that all Americans embrace.
The democratic spirit is not identifiable by race, by gender, nor by religion.
It is not identifiable by an individual’s dress or speech. The democratic spirit
lies within the soul. The democratic spirit is the answer to this time of great
tribulation for the United States of America. Today, we must join together.
As members of this beacon of democracy, we must look to unite ourselves in
the interest of promoting the interests of our country and in the interests
of our democracy. We should lend a hand to those we may have been quick to
judge and join with them in embracing the ideals of our democratic principles,
for united we will stand.