Remarks by Dean of Students James Matthews

at Commemoration for September 11

I remember driving home that night of the worst day of my professional career, turning to the radio for information and solace and hearing my own stupid voice bleating out of the speaker: A moment of absurdity.

I remember driving to work the next morning along I-74 , noticing the absence of contrails in the sky, and the multitude of out-of-state plates along the roadway: A moment of realization.

I remember talking with a student whose uncle worked in the Pentagon, in or near the section struck by the plane: A moment of shared terror.

I remember Petra Visscher assuring herself of the welfare of all of our students studying abroad within two hours: A moment of pride in our university.

Let us together remember all of those who died on September 11, 2001 at the Twin Towers, at Shanksville, PA, and at the Pentagon.

Let us remember those who have given selflessly of themselves, on September 11 and afterwards, in this country and abroad, even of their own lives. Let us never forget their sacrifice in an age, we are told, marked by greed and "me-first".

Let us remember those who have sought to bind wounds and bring comfort, to ease suffering, and to provide solace.

Let us hold in our thoughts those who have been physically, emotionally, or spiritually wounded by the events of last September. Let us rejoice in those situations where healing has occurred.

Let us remember and continue to reach out to those who have lost loved ones last year.

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, was asked by a journalist if he minded that President Reagan had referred to the Soviet Union as an evil empire, in light of President Bush’s comment that the events of September 11 were the work of evil. President Putin is reported to have said that he understood Reagan’s political need to use such language, but that he agreed with Bush about those responsible for the terrorist attacks on American soil. "We are as dust to them, " he responded.

Let us recall President Putin’s words as we pledge never to utter their evil companion: "They are as dust to us." When we have uttered that second, fatal phrase we have and are truly lost as a nation.

Let us not hesitate to look into the painful places of human experience while never fearing to respond with humility and respect.

Let us rededicate ourselves to acts of selfless giving on this very campus and in this very community, drawing upon the boundless talents and goodwill we possess.

Let us put aside the foolish arrogance that wealth and resources can protect us from harm. Let us have the courage to learn in and from humility.

And finally, let us never shrink from touching the pain of our neighbors, for to deny their pain is, ultimately, to wish them death, to render them "as dust to us."