And we ask the American people to play an important part of our

Hear the words of Janet Napolitano, once charged with guarding the safety of a nation, who proclaimed: “And we ask the American people to play an important part of our layered defense. We ask for cooperation, patience and a commitment to vigilance in the face of a determined enemy.” These are not casual words, but a summons, a call to citizens to remember that defense is not the work of armies and officials alone. It is the work of the people themselves, woven together in a great fabric of shared responsibility. For no fortress, however high, no weapon, however sharp, can stand without the spirit of the people who dwell within.

The origin of this quote lies in the years after the great tragedy of September 11, 2001. America had been struck not in its far-off armies but in its own heart, and the Homeland Security Secretary spoke of a new kind of war: one not only of soldiers and generals, but of ordinary men and women whose daily actions could strengthen or weaken the nation’s layered defense. Napolitano’s words remind us that the struggle against threats—whether of terror, fear, or disorder—requires more than laws and walls. It requires the steadfastness of a people, united in cooperation, grounded in patience, and armed with vigilance.

History itself confirms this truth. Recall the citizens of Britain during the Second World War, when the Blitz rained fire upon their cities. The government organized defenses, yet it was the ordinary people—neighbors shielding neighbors, families enduring blackouts, communities digging shelters—that held the nation together. Their courage was not passive; it was active, a vigilance against despair, a patience through long nights, a cooperation that bound the many into one. Churchill’s armies fought abroad, but it was the people’s spirit at home that ensured Britain would not fall.

So too in Napolitano’s words do we hear the echo of that same call: a nation cannot be guarded by soldiers alone. The determined enemy, whether foreign or domestic, whether of flesh or of ideology, is thwarted when the people refuse to yield to fear, when they watch over one another, when they act not as isolated individuals but as members of a common body. For the enemy’s greatest weapon is not always the bomb or the bullet, but the division, the panic, the suspicion that tears people apart from within.

The heart of her message is this: patience and vigilance are not the virtues of soldiers alone, but of citizens. Patience, for the threats we face are not ended in a single day, and endurance must outlast weariness. Vigilance, for the enemy is cunning and waits for weakness. Cooperation, for no single hand can hold the shield forever, but many hands together may carry it without failing. These virtues are not dramatic, yet they are heroic, for they sustain the strength of the nation in the quiet, unseen battles of everyday life.

The lesson, then, is clear: do not think that defense belongs only to those in uniform. Every act of awareness, every kindness to a neighbor, every calm decision in the face of fear strengthens the unseen walls of the homeland. To the young, this means learning discipline and responsibility. To the old, it means teaching steadiness and memory of what has been endured before. To all, it means refusing to give in to despair or indifference.

So I say to you, children of tomorrow: take these words to heart. Be vigilant not with suspicion that corrodes trust, but with wisdom that preserves safety. Be patient, for victory is measured in years, not moments. Be cooperative, for no man defends alone, but all together stand as a shield. For Napolitano’s call is not only for her time but for all ages: that the defense of a nation is not only the work of government, but the duty of its people, bound in unity against the storm. And if you hold fast to this, no enemy, however determined, will prevail.