Finding the right words

Succumbing as much to the political risks as to his own lack of imagination, Gov. Pataki has opted not to say anything original on the one-year anniversary of September 11. Instead, they are going to read the Gettysburg Address. Here is what I would say, as a proud New Yorker, if I were speaking on September 11, 2002:

It is written in the Talmud that the ancient prophets would distinguish a city from a village not by its size but by the worldliness of its citizens.

New York City is one of the great cities in the history of the world, like Athens during the Golden Age of Greece, Paris during the Enlightenment, or the capitals of learning in Persia and the Far East centuries ago. Like those cities, New York is great not because of its size but because of the worldliness and tolerance of its citizens.

One year ago, the foundations of this mighty city were shaken. We were all present at the creation of a new era in our country's history. By a single cruel and thoughtless act, we were made to feel the terror that every day strikes fear into the hearts of millions around the world. We were made to feel a pain that can only be caused when man does harm to his fellow man. But we learned, too, from the way New Yorkers helped each other, that the only thing that can ease such a pain is the inherent goodness of man.

Now we are engaged in a great struggle to bring freedom to those people around the world imprisoned by tyranny or the manacles of ignorance, repression, and poverty. But in the search for freedom abroad, it is important to remember where our commitment to that ideal comes from. The principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are an inspiration to people and governments around the world. But what inspires them is not only those principles, but our ability to live by them, to make them real.

In our quest for freedom, we seek a world where all men can live without fear of terror. We know that sometimes, in order to make safer the world of tomorrow, it is necessary to accept sacrifice today.

At the close of the Second World War, President Harry Truman quietly signed an order altering the direction of the eagle on the Seal of the United States, so that the eagle faced olive branch for peace rather than the arrows for war. It was our destiny to live at a time when the eagle faced the arrows. But with faith in ourselves and in our ancient heritage, we know that if we are patient, dedicated, bold, and decent, we shall one day live at a time when the eagle faces the olive branch once again.

As it is written in the Book of Isaiah, "Though you were wearied with the length of your way, you did not say it was hopeless. You found new life in your strength." As New Yorkers, and as Americans, we have found new life in our strength. And we must channel that new life into securing for future generations those defining qualities of worldliness and tolerance that make New York the greatest city on the globe.