As long as we live, this day shall haunt us and horrify us. Murderous suicide attacks -- taking an immeasurable toll in death, injury and destruction -- left us numb with grief and aghast with anger.

Here in McCook -- as in villages and cities all across the world -- good, normal, caring people gathered to witness the atrocities as they flashed non-stop across our television screens.

Within minutes of seeing the awful events unfolding, we knew that this day would be forever scorched on the pages of history. Tuesday, September 11, 2001 ... a day which will stand with the bombardment of Pearl Harbor, the battles of World War II and the assassination of John F. Kennedy as tragic benchmarks in the modern day history of the United States of America.

Who could do such a thing? And why, oh, my God, why? For normal, God-fearing people, it is beyond comprehension. What kind of animals are people who do things like this? What could warp their minds so horribly that they would resort to such reprehensible acts?

As the tragedies mount -- as the terror and torment surpass any day or any thing we have ever known before -- one thought must sustain us.

Good will prevail.

We will mourn. We will search for answers. And, we will go forward ... terribly wounded by the awfulness of the acts of terrorism ... but dedicated to doing whatever is necessary to return this world to the path of righteousness. Revenge must be sought ... the perpetrators must be punished. And, whatever the terrorists are after, we must resist their demands with unity and courage.

Evil people do evil things. But -- over the course of human history -- good prevails.