thedrifter
07-03-08, 06:22 AM
O'S SPIRIT OF 9/11
By GEOFF EARLE, Post Correspondent
July 3, 2008 --
WASHINGTON - Barack Obama paid tribute yesterday to the heroism that took place at Ground Zero on 9/11, as he called on Americans to find new ways to serve their country.
"Whether you lived in Manhattan or thousands of miles away in Colorado, you felt the pain and loss of that day not just as an individual, but as an American," he said at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs.
"You also felt pride - pride in the firefighters who rushed up the stairs while workers rushed down; pride in the police who provided comfort, and the neighbors who lent a hand; pride in your citizenship, and the tattered flag that flew at Ground Zero."
"That's why Americans lined up to give blood. That's why we held vigils and flew flags. That's why we rallied behind our president. We were ready to step into the strong current of history, and to answer a new call for our country. But the call never came."
The flourish of rhetoric comes as Obama seeks to call attention to his own patriotism, after controversy over his past refusal to wear a flag pin.
Obama slammed President Bush for failing to call for "shared sacrifice" after the attacks and defining patriotism "as the property of one party, and used as a political wedge to take us into a war that should have never been authorized and never been waged."
Obama got criticized for a commencement address at Wesleyan University this spring, where he elevated some service like his own community organizing, but failed to mention people who serve their country in the military. This time, Obama praised the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, a group that many liberals wanted to throw off campus a generation ago.
"The men and women of our military - from Fort Carson to Peterson Air Force Base, from the Air Force Academy to the ROTC students here on campus - have signed up at a time when our troops face an ever-increasing load," Obama said.
Obama called for a "new generation of Americans" to join the military, increasing ground forces by 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines.
Brian Rogers, a spokesman for John McCain, said: "It was refreshing to hear Barack Obama laud military service in his speech today. We hope this will be the tone we hear from him . . . from now on."
geoff.earle@nypost.com
Ellie
By GEOFF EARLE, Post Correspondent
July 3, 2008 --
WASHINGTON - Barack Obama paid tribute yesterday to the heroism that took place at Ground Zero on 9/11, as he called on Americans to find new ways to serve their country.
"Whether you lived in Manhattan or thousands of miles away in Colorado, you felt the pain and loss of that day not just as an individual, but as an American," he said at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs.
"You also felt pride - pride in the firefighters who rushed up the stairs while workers rushed down; pride in the police who provided comfort, and the neighbors who lent a hand; pride in your citizenship, and the tattered flag that flew at Ground Zero."
"That's why Americans lined up to give blood. That's why we held vigils and flew flags. That's why we rallied behind our president. We were ready to step into the strong current of history, and to answer a new call for our country. But the call never came."
The flourish of rhetoric comes as Obama seeks to call attention to his own patriotism, after controversy over his past refusal to wear a flag pin.
Obama slammed President Bush for failing to call for "shared sacrifice" after the attacks and defining patriotism "as the property of one party, and used as a political wedge to take us into a war that should have never been authorized and never been waged."
Obama got criticized for a commencement address at Wesleyan University this spring, where he elevated some service like his own community organizing, but failed to mention people who serve their country in the military. This time, Obama praised the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, a group that many liberals wanted to throw off campus a generation ago.
"The men and women of our military - from Fort Carson to Peterson Air Force Base, from the Air Force Academy to the ROTC students here on campus - have signed up at a time when our troops face an ever-increasing load," Obama said.
Obama called for a "new generation of Americans" to join the military, increasing ground forces by 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines.
Brian Rogers, a spokesman for John McCain, said: "It was refreshing to hear Barack Obama laud military service in his speech today. We hope this will be the tone we hear from him . . . from now on."
geoff.earle@nypost.com
Ellie