NEW JERSEY, September 17, 2001: It was a day we should never forget.

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, we in the United States must never -- ever -- put those attacks -- and the innocent lives -- out of our minds. We, the good people of this country -- the families, the moms and dads, the sons and daughters, the law-abidiing citizens -- must maintain our feelings of caution. Of anger. And of determination. We cannot afford to become complacent. To be lulled back into a false sense of security. To let the passage of time distract our attention, or diminish our resolve.

Make no mistake: they changed our world forever. But it's not that we want to take revenge against these criminals. Rather, we want to punish them for their crimes. To stamp out terrorism, once and for all. And we look forward to having the rest of the law-abiding world by our side.

But for now, we as a nation have to help the injured, comfort the families, and console the surviving wives, husbands and children. To care for the physical and mental health of all those touched by the unspeakable acts of violence. Familiar territory for the Rx industry.

Caring for health. It's what we do. Like a physician's oath, we in the Rx community live by an unspoken credo, "First, do no harm." Or another way to put it: "Safety first." Perhaps Pfizer says it best: "Life is our Life's Work."

That's what's so difficult about these terrorist crimes: the blatant disregard for human health. These perpetrators put safety last, they intend to do harm. They have no repsect for their own lives. It's so incongruous to our mindset, our credo, our way of life.

In a business that's dedicated to bringing life-saving medicines to sick people all over the world, how can we process the events of last Tuesday? How do we go back to our daily tasks and deadlines, when we know that somewhere, these dirtbags are plotting to destroy even more innocent lives?

The answer is: because we must. Our work must go on, and more specifically, because there are sick people who rely on us. Sure, we will be more cautious. We'll undure delays of tighter security. We will deal with postponements, cancellations, and rescheduling. And we'll think twice about entering certain buildings and visiting certain airports.

But we will go on. We must show the world that America remains strong -- that democracy still works, that justice still prevails, and that peace still triumphs.

Precisely what our next steps will be to bring back that peace, however, is not entirely certain. What is certain is that the people responsible for these violent attacks will be hunted down, rounded up, and brought to justice. Along with anyone who decides to help them.

Last week, we were reminded how precious life is. And that's why we need to work even harder -- and continue to bring to the world the pharmaceutical products and life saving medicines that families rely on. Anything less would be -- well -- un-American. God bless the families and the friends of all the deceased and missing. Our prayers and thoughts are with you.

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