CAMDEN – State Senator Dana Redd, D-Camden and Gloucester, issued the following statement regarding the seventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks, in which terrorists flew hijacked planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon. A fourth plane was brought down by passengers near Shanksville, Pennsylvania before it could reach its target:
“Today, families across America will mourn the single largest attack on American soil in history. September 11, 2001 was a shock to so many of us who could never imagine such a devastating attack on our friends, family members, neighbors and fellow Americans.
“In one tragic flash of destruction, New Jersey lost 679 of its sons and daughters to an extremist plot put into place by a hateful few. After the September 11 attacks, terrorism went from an abstract concept to a word burned into the hearts, minds and fears of every citizen of the United States.
“Since that fateful late summer day, our nation has been entrenched in a global War on Terror, and the casualty count for our brave soldiers has been just as high as the loss of civilian life in the initial attack. New Jersey has lost 112 brave men and women in the fight to keep us safe, and seven of those soldiers came from my own legislative district.
“As we honor the deaths of far too many innocent people on September 11, I ask that we also keep praying for the family, friends and community of our troops who are still committed to fighting for freedom and liberty abroad. So many have sacrificed so much as we continue to fight the specter of terrorism worldwide, and it’s wholly appropriate to take a moment today to honor that sacrifice with our thoughts and prayers.”