Mr. Speaker, we are a blessed Nation. We have not suffered

The words of Marsha Blackburn, “Mr. Speaker, we are a blessed Nation. We have not suffered another attack on our soil since September 11, and we are grateful. We have killed or captured dozens of members of al Qaeda and the Taliban. Our military and intelligence forces are working both hard and smart,” rise like a solemn hymn sung in the shadow of tragedy. They are not mere declarations of victory, but a reverent remembrance—a recognition of sacrifice, vigilance, and divine mercy. Spoken in the chambers of governance, yet resonant far beyond them, these words call upon the spirit of a people who have endured sorrow and stood steadfast in the face of evil.

To understand their origin, one must return to the ashes of September 11, 2001, when towers fell and the heart of a nation was pierced. From that smoke and ruin, the United States awoke not to comfort, but to purpose. It was a moment when ordinary lives were transfigured by duty, when firefighters became warriors, and neighbors became guardians of one another. Marsha Blackburn’s words emerged from that crucible, a reflection not only of military triumph but of spiritual endurance—the will to remain grateful amidst grief, and strong without cruelty.

In the years that followed, a great campaign unfurled across mountains and deserts. Men and women in uniform, drawn from farms, cities, and towns, ventured to lands they had never known, to confront an enemy that thrived on shadows. Their mission was not conquest but defense; not vengeance, but protection. Blackburn’s praise for the military and intelligence forces was not flattery—it was testimony to their ceaseless labor, the sleepless watch they kept so that others might dream in peace. For though the world moved on, they remained ever at the gate.

Yet within these words lies a deeper truth—a truth about gratitude and humility in the midst of power. The speaker does not boast of victory; she gives thanks. For it is one thing to strike an enemy, but another to remember that safety itself is fragile, and peace is never permanent. To be “a blessed Nation” is not to be immune to pain, but to be conscious of grace—to know that fortune must be guarded not with arrogance, but with vigilance and reverence.

Let us look, too, to the annals of history, to find this same spirit among the ancients. When the Greeks triumphed at Marathon, they built no monuments to their pride but offered sacrifices to the gods. They knew that human courage, though mighty, is never solitary—it is upheld by unseen hands: by faith, by unity, by the unyielding will to defend what is just. In every age, the wise have understood that victory is hollow without humility, and that gratitude is the shield that guards against corruption.

And so, from Blackburn’s declaration emerges a lesson for all generations: to labor with strength, but to speak with gratitude; to act with courage, but to reflect with humility. The peace we enjoy is not self-born—it is the fruit of watchfulness, the harvest of countless unseen deeds. Just as the farmer tends his field though he cannot command the rain, so must citizens tend their nation though they cannot command the tides of fate. Gratitude keeps the spirit pure; remembrance keeps the heart awake.

In your own life, remember this: to be blessed is not to be complacent. Each day that dawns without calamity is a day won by unseen hands—by the diligence of others, by the mercy of Providence, by your own quiet perseverance. Therefore, live with awareness. Give thanks for safety, for peace, for the humble labors that sustain you. Let gratitude sharpen, not soften, your will. Work “hard and smart,” as Blackburn commended—not merely in your profession, but in the art of living well and wisely.

And let the final word be this: the strength of a nation, like the strength of a soul, is measured not by the noise of its triumphs, but by the stillness of its gratitude. We are a blessed people, and to remain so, we must remember—always—that the blessings of safety and peace are kept alive only by courage, wisdom, and the unbroken spirit of thankfulness.