On Patriot Day, we remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, the courage of the first responders who ran toward danger, and the countless families, here and across the nation, whose lives were forever changed. We also remember something that emerged from the darkness of that day: a sense of common purpose.

In the hours and days that followed, Americans set aside many of the differences that too often divide us. Neighbors looked after neighbors. Strangers offered comfort to one another. Communities gathered together, not as Republicans or Democrats, not as people from different backgrounds or walks of life, but simply as Americans united by grief, compassion, and a determination to help one another.

Members of our own community heeded the call for help, leaving Genesee County bound for Lower Manhattan without even a night’s rest in between.

As Genesee County gathers together this morning, as friends and colleagues, joined by our neighbors, we will take a moment to reflect on the anniversary as more than just a day of remembrance. It is proof positive of who we are at our core, and what we are capable of being again. We can disagree without treating one another as enemies. We can choose civility over anger.

The unity Americans demonstrated after September 11 was born from tragedy, but the values behind it do not have to be. May we honor those we lost by carrying that spirit forward today and every day.