President George W. Bush arrived at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Fla., on a clear September Tuesday in 2001 to celebrate a surge in reading scores.
asserted
Bush → arrive → scores
Teacher Kay Daniels' second-graders were eager to meet him.
asserted
graders → meet → him
"It was a beautiful start of the day," Daniels said.
asserted
Daniels → say → day
"Moms had done hairs, and uniforms were pressed, and everybody was excited."
President Bush, she said, "was light, and he was approachable."
The children were about to read to the president when the light began to turn.
asserted
light → do → president
As Daniels recalled, "Mr. Card came up and whispered in the president's ear, and my whole being just froze, because I knew that was not supposed to happen."
asserted
that → recall → ear
And then something happened to the president's attitude.
asserted
something → happen → attitude
"He left us for a moment," said Daniels.
asserted
Daniels → leave → moment
"Not physically, but I could tell he left us for a moment, but he came back.
uncertain
he → tell → moment
And I'm wondering, what was that moment about?"
asserted
moment → wonder → what
The president read the assigned book, "The Pet Goat," for a few moments – then briefly addressed the nation with few hard facts: "Today, we've had a national tragedy.
asserted
we → read → tragedy
Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country."
asserted
airplanes → crash → country
Daniels said, "That is a part of me that will never go away, because it's a part of me.
asserted
it → say → me
I'll never forget it."
asserted
I → forget → it
Bush's chief of staff, Andy Card, now 79, can never forget, either.
asserted
chief → forget → staff
Though it had been 25 years since he was inside the classroom, it all came flooding back on a return visit.
asserted
it → come → visit
"That day I promised myself I was going to be cool, calm, and collected, and help the president," Card said.
asserted
Card → promise → president
"So, what do you tell him?
asserted
you → tell → him
I decided I would tell him two facts and make one obvious editorial comment.
asserted
I → decide → comment
A second plane hit the second tower; America is under attack.
asserted
America → hit → attack
And I was praying that the president did nothing to demonstrate fear to those second-graders."
asserted
president → pray → graders
He didn't, prompting later criticism for appearing indecisive.
asserted
He → prompt → criticism
"I'm offended if people think he was doing it wrong," Card said, "because if he was doing it wrong, I had done it wrong.
asserted
I → offend → it
So, I'll take the blame.
asserted
I → take → blame
We didn't know much about what was going on at all.
asserted
what → know → much
I do think it was the moment that he realized what the real job of being president was."
asserted
job → think → ?
The flow of information that morning to and from the president was jumbled.
asserted
flow → jumble → president
Reporters like me scrambled for scraps of facts as we prepared for live reports.
asserted
we → scramble → reports
Asked if he'd felt afraid, Card replied, "I had fear.
asserted
I → ask → fear
I'm not sure that I would call myself afraid.
asserted
I → call → myself
I felt very mission-driven."
asserted
I → feel → ?
Card's whisper to the president is now an enduring image of a moment America changed.
asserted
America → endure → moment
"I feel guilty that that photograph, which is iconic and defines an era, includes me," Card said.
asserted
Card → feel → me
I tried to help a president do a job.
asserted
president → try → job
I'm sure there are millions of Americans that would stand up and do the same thing that I did that would help the president do the right thing.
asserted
president → be → thing
My conscience is clear, but I also know maybe I didn't do some things right."
This past spring, Card and Daniels reunited for the first time since 9/11 at a commemoration held at Booker Elementary.
asserted
Card → know → Elementary
For those who suffered up-close, 9/11 carries a sacred obligation: Never forget.
asserted
9/11 → suffer → obligation
It's the anthem of 9/11, and a mission to educate those too young to know.
asserted
It → educate → those
Part of that mission now includes a steel beam recovered from the South Tower of the World Trade Center, on a nationwide tour marking 25 years.
asserted
Part → include → years
The steel, roughly 22 feet long and weighing 17,000 pounds, conveys the enormity of destruction, and the gravity of loss – a loss few know better than Stephen Siller, Jr.
asserted
few → weigh → Jr.
His father, Stephen, a New York City firefighter, was off-duty when he heard the distress call on 9/11.
asserted
he → hear → 9/11
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia
