First-Lady Laura Bush says she is proud of the way Americans have found their inner strength in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
In a VOA interview Monday, Mrs. Bush said Americans have found the strength, compassion and grace possessed by earlier generations who lived through the two World Wars and other difficulties. She said simple acts, such as donating blood, sending messages of sympathy and raising money for the victims’ families have brought out the best in people.
Mrs. Bush said she believes the attacks were caused by “a lack of tolerance, by hate and by evil.” The former librarian and teacher said she believes education and reading provide people with the awareness and values necessary to understand religious and cultural differences.
The first lady also addressed the importance of women in society. She said she has become much more aware of the freedoms American women have since last year. Mrs. Bush said she is pleased that young girls can now attend school in Afghanistan and that women are allowed to walk unescorted down Afghan streets since the ouster of the Taleban.
In other media interviews, Mrs. Bush cautioned against young children repeatedly seeing the images of September 11 on television. She advised parents to pay close attention to how children are coping with extensive media coverage of the anniversary of the attacks.
