H.C.R. 201

1

RESOLUTION OF REMEMBRANCE AND
2 RECOGNITION OF THE ATTACK ON
3 AMERICA
4 2001 SECOND SPECIAL SESSION
5 STATE OF UTAH
6 Sponsor: Ben C. Ferry
7 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor expresses deep sorrow and
8 condolences to the Wahlstrom family, to all other Utah families, and to all families in the
9 United States who lost loved ones in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, to the police,
10 firefighters, and rescue workers killed in the attacks and to the citizens of New York,
11 Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The resolution condemns the actions of the terrorists involved
12 in these hideous acts against innocent people and expresses support for the President of the
13 United States, congressional leaders, and leaders throughout the world in their efforts to
14 eliminate the threat of terrorism in the United States and throughout the world. The
15 resolution also pledges the full cooperation and support of the state of Utah in welcoming the
16 world to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games to foster freedom and peace in an environment
17 that is safe and personifies the Olympic Spirit.
18 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
19 WHEREAS, on Tuesday September 11, 2001, at 8:48 A.M., Eastern Standard Time, the
20 United States of America was suddenly and brutally attacked, without warning, by terrorists who
21 hijacked and intentionally crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into the World Trade Center North
22 Tower;
23 WHEREAS, among the passengers on the flight were Mary Alice Wahlstrom, a Utah
24 citizen, and her daughter, Carolyn Beug;
25 WHEREAS, 18 minutes later a second hijacked plane, United Airlines Flight 175, was
26 intentionally crashed into the World Trade Center South Tower;
27 WHEREAS, at 9:43 A.M., Eastern Standard Time, hijacked American Airlines Flight 77

28 was intentionally crashed into the Pentagon;
29 WHEREAS, cellular telephone communications with loved ones made the passengers of
30 hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 aware of the attacks on the World Trade Center;
31 WHEREAS, several passengers on Flight 93 overcame a myriad of emotions, including
32 fear of certain death, laid aside all personal cares, and somehow prevented the hijackers from
33 accomplishing their mission;
34 WHEREAS, Flight 93 crashed in a Western Pennsylvania field, killing all aboard but
35 preventing additional loss of life on the ground;
36 WHEREAS, the attacks were symbolic in their intent by striking the World Trade Center,
37 a symbol of America's economic strength; the Pentagon, a symbol of America's military might; and
38 by potentially striking at the symbol of America's government--Washington D.C.;
39 WHEREAS, the attacks on the United States of America have caused the greatest loss of
40 American life on American soil in the history of this nation, almost tripling the loss of life in the
41 December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor;
42 WHEREAS, the attacks killed or injured citizens from every state in the Union and citizens
43 of many foreign countries, including many who may have lived in Utah at some time or who have
44 family that currently reside in the state;
45 WHEREAS, the attacks struck at the heart of every American and every freedom-loving
46 individual throughout the world;
47 WHEREAS, the attacks may have wounded the spirits of Americans and lovers of freedom
48 everywhere, but cannot extinguish the flames of freedom that continue to burn brightly;
49 WHEREAS, generous Utahns have donated approximately $1.5 million to the Salt
50 Lake-area American Red Cross, thousands have also donated blood, and Utah firefighters and
51 rescue workers have joined in the rescue effort;
52 WHEREAS, the state of Utah will welcome the world to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games
53 in a spirit of freedom and peace that does honor to the Olympic spirit;
54 WHEREAS, the selflessness and heroism displayed by police, fire, and rescue workers,
55 braving flaming buildings to save lives, has left an indelible imprint on the nation's consciousness;
56 WHEREAS, survivors fleeing down stairways in the World Trade Center buildings were
57 met by firefighters going up, never to return, who offered words of encouragement such as "You're
58 going to be all right," "It's okay, you're almost home," and "You're doing a great job";

59 WHEREAS, a newspaper editorial on the attacks stated, "a tragedy cuts, removing pieces
60 of ourselves that we wanted to keep. The pieces that remain now feel all the more precious";
61 WHEREAS, "Mourning does not always make us less tender, but it makes us richer and
62 wiser. Mourning teaches us of frailty, and by knowing it we renew our strength . . . through
63 mourning we become real again, no longer the secretaries, doctors, the suave, portly, the buyers,
64 sellers, all the roles we play because we know naught else. It forces us to remember that beneath
65 it all, it is our humanity that ultimately defines us";
66 WHEREAS, it is written that in medieval times a requiem was the device by which the
67 honorable living could assure safe passage to paradise for their honored dead, an expression of
68 interdependence and solidarity, the living with the dead;
69 WHEREAS, a requiem for unsung heroes should carry something of this same meaning
70 because the memory of the virtuous keeps virtue alive in ourselves and the memory of the forces
71 they opposed helps us face the world as it is;
72 WHEREAS, their number, their anonymity, and their circumstances make accounting
73 impossible and we do not know what medals to pin or what laurels to bestow; and
74 WHEREAS, any reward we could offer would be poor compensation if we failed to
75 exemplify in our own lives some portion of the legacy they have bestowed:
76 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
77 Governor concurring therein, expresses its deepest sorrow and condolences to the Wahlstrom
78 family, to all Utah families who lost loved ones in the attacks, to all citizens of the United States
79 who lost loved ones, to the families of police, firefighter, and rescue workers killed while trying
80 to save others and to the citizens of the states of New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania for their
81 sufferings.
82 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor express their support
83 to the President of the United States, George W. Bush, to the United States Senate, to the United
84 States House of Representatives and to the freedom-loving countries of the world in their
85 collective effort to formulate and execute a strategy to thwart and eliminate the threat of terrorism
86 in the United States and throughout the world.
87 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor pledge the state's full
88 cooperation and support to fulfill its role in welcoming the world to the 2002 Winter Olympic
89 Games to foster freedom and peace in an environment that is safe and personifies the Olympic

90 Spirit.
91 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the members of the
92 Wahlstrom family, to Utah families who lost family members in the attacks, the President of the
93 United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House
94 of Representatives, the Governors of New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, and to New York
95 Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in recognition of New York's police, fire, and rescue personnel who lost
96 their lives.




Legislative Review Note
as of 9-21-01 1:33 PM

A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel