We are all familiar with the phrase, "Let's roll." Todd Beamer was a passenger on United Airlines flight 93, which was hijacked on September 11, 2001 and crashed in a field in Shanksville, PA. When it became clear that the flight was being strategically routed toward the D.C. area, Beamer led a group of passengers into the cockpit and forced the plane to go down after breaking down the cockpit door. This bold, heroic act may have saved the White House from attack. Beamer's call to action was reportedly, "Are you ready? Let's roll."

On Saturday, December 5th, I had the honor of serving as Master of Ceremonies for the "9/11 Never Forget Coalition Rally” at Foley Square in downtown Manhattan, New York City. The location is in the shadow of the federal court building where Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (KSM), Walid Muhammed Salih Mubarak Bin Attash, Ramzi Bin Al Shibh, Ali Abdul-Aziz Ali, and Mustafa Ahmed Al Hawsawi, all involved with the plotting and planning of the 9/11 attacks, are slated to be tried. The weather was bad. It was raining and it was cold, but the elements didn't deter thousands from showing up to express their outrage over the decision by Attorney General Eric Holder to bring these animals to the United States where they will be treated as U.S. citizens in civilian court.

The list of speakers was most impressive. First up was Debra Burlingame who lost her brother Charles "Chic" Burlingame III who was a pilot on American Airlines flight 77 which crashed into the Pentagon on September 11. She is the co-founder of 9/11 Families for a Safe & Strong America. Other speakers included Tim Brown who is a retired FDNY firefighter and a survivor of September 11. He was also a first responder to the 1993 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. (I guess G.W. Bush didn't create terrorism after all!) Then there was Peter Regan who is an active FDNY firefighter and U.S. Marine who served two tours in Iraq. He lost his dad, firefighter, Donald Regan, FDNY Rescue Co. 3 in the attack. Peter introduced actor Brian Dennehy, who drove four hours to be there. He read a letter from Judea Pearl, the father of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, reportedly executed by KSM on videotape. Another superb speaker was Andy McCarthy, the great former federal prosecutor who helped put the blind Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman behind bars for his role in the 1993 WTC bombing, and who is a National Review Online contributing editor was his usual brilliant self. But the man who stole the show was David Beamer, Todd Beamer's dad.

Mr. Beamer, smartly attired in a light brown raincoat and brimmed rain hat, did not appear large in stature, but delivered a giant message. He read an open letter to President Barack Obama. He said that he considers the proposed trials to be a second attack on America, New York City and September 11 family members. Throughout his message to the president, Beamer punctuated his points with, "Mr. president, stop this attack."

Finally, he said, "Mr. President, I would have given my life to prevent September 11, 2001. I merely ask you to exercise leadership. Right this wrong, stop this attack. Commander-In-Chief, sir, once upon a time a young man issued a call to action, to do the right thing, back when he said, ‘Let's roll.’ The free people on flight 93 did just that, successfully. Commander-In-Chief, sir, on this day, his old man is calling you to action. Stand up Commander, issue a command. Do the right thing, reverse this attack."

Bravo to Mr. Beamer. I know that his son was looking down on him and his tears of pride contributed to the rains that poured down upon us on that day. Unfortunately, the words and pleas of Mr. Beamer and all of the other speakers will fall on deaf, American-hating ears. Neither the president nor Mr. Holder will deny themselves and other America-bashers the joy of having KSM express the thoughts and words that they themselves could never reveal. When the mastermind of September 11 rises to speak in that courthouse and says America has been an evil nation, with an evil foreign policy and has treated Muslims poorly, Mr. Obama and Mr. Holder will be smiling somewhere out of sight from us all. And if KSM gets the chance to talk about how he was "tortured," and maybe even put CIA interrogators on the stand, Mr. Obama and Mr. Holder will pop the cork.

Click on link to view the C-Span coverage of the “9/11 Never Forget Rally”: http://www.c-spanarchives.org/program/290460-1.