Today, I'm taking a departure from my usual ranting about the economy to remember and salute the victims of 9/11.

Every September 11, we will remember the men and women of the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, the innocent passengers on the airplanes that were used as weapons, and the lost rescue teams. While there's been so much already written about why 9/11 happened and who was behind it, the reality is that an American tragedy happened on an incomprehensible scale.

As a frequent mingler in Manhattan, I can tell you that the people of Manhattan changed after 9/11. They are a kinder, gentler folk now. You don't need to travel far in Manhattan to find someone who lost a loved one to 9/11. The event changed New Yorkers forever.

My prayers today go out to the almost four thousand people that were killed on 9/11. My deepest sympathy goes out to the survivors... the men and women who lost their spouses, the parents who lost their sons and daughters, and the children who lost their parents. The hardest challenge in life is going on after losing someone you really loved. And that's the real tragedy of 9/11.

America is a beautiful woman. Somehow she was able to get through 9/11 and go on like she always does. Better, stronger, wiser. God bless America, the lives lost on 9/11, and the wounded hearts that march on today.