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WE FEEL THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MAINTAIN AWARENESS OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN OUR COUNTRY.
THAT THERE ARE GROUPS OUT THERE, THEY, THEY ARE OUT TO, UH, ATTACK THIS LITTLE EXPERIMENT THAT WE CALL WHAT DEMOCRACY.
THERE ARE NO WORDS TO EXPRESS WHAT THIS EXPERIENCE FELT LIKE OR LOOKED LIKE.
IT WAS A CRYSTAL CLEAR, BEAUTIFUL FALL DAY AS WE ALL SCURRIED TO GET ACROSS THE BRIDGE TO SAFETY.
YOU COULD NOT HELP BUT LOOK DOWNTOWN AT THE INTENSE BLACK SMOKE AND WHAT REMAINED OF THE TWIN TOWERS? I JUST COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT I WAS WATCHING.
ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT WERE THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO WORKED IN THOSE BUILDINGS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES I KNEW PERSONALLY.
THEY SOMEHOW MADE IT OUT ALIVE.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE TRUE SUPERHEROES HERE TODAY.
THEY'RE YOUR NEIGHBORS, HUSBANDS, WIVES, SONS, DAUGHTERS.
THEY'RE EVERYDAY AVERAGE PEOPLE WHO EVEN NOW IF THEY GOT THE CALL, WOULD RUSH OUT OF THIS EVENT IN WHICH WE'RE HONORING THEM TO GO SAVE LIFE AND PROPERTY.
SO I SAY GOD BLESS OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL REAL SUPERHEROES.
EVERYBODY REMEMBERS ALL THE FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE OFFICERS, AND PARAMEDICS WHO RAN INTO THOSE BUILDINGS WITHOUT CONCERN FOR THEIR SAFETY TRYING TO SAVE OTHER PEOPLE.
THE WORLD HAS CHANGED A LOT SINCE THEN, BUT THE CHALLENGES HAVEN'T.
AND WHETHER IT'S A TERRORIST ATTACK OR A MAJOR STORM, OR A SCHOOL SHOOTING AMERICA, THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE JEFFERSON PARISH SHERIFF'S OFFICE WILL HEAD THAT WAY.
WHEN OTHER PEOPLE ARE LEAVING, WE'LL HEAD TOWARDS THE DANGER.