Former President George W. Bush,right,wipes his eyes next to former first lady Laura Bush,after he spoke at a memorial for the passengers and crew of United Flight 93 on September 11,2021.Credit:AP
“There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home,” Bush said.
“But in their disdain for pluralism,in their disregard for human life,in their determination to defile national symbols,they are children of the same foul spirit and it is our continuing duty to confront them.”
Bush’s 10-minute speech — before an audience that included Vice-President Harris and former vice-president Dick Cheney — compared what he called the unity of Americans after the attacks on September 11,2001,with the disunity of the present day.
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“In the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks,I was proud to lead an amazing,resilient,united people,” Bush said.
“When it comes to the unity of America,those days seem distant from our own.
“Malign forces at work in our common life that turn every disagreement into an argument and every argument into a clash of cultures. So much of our politics has become a naked appeal to anger,fear and resentment. That leaves us worried about our nation and our future together.”