According to Perry, staying home would have meant giving in to terrorism. You must fight it even as you have to live with it. If we stop being who we are and stop living a life worth living, we hand the terrorists their greatest victory. The United States is a relatively easy target for its enemies because it is a free and open society, Perry said. Domestic terrorism is a crime against the order and tranquillity of our nation.
International terrorism is an assault on the peace and stability of the world.
Terrorists reject the rule of law and basic decency, Perry said. Terrorism is the opposite of everything America stands for, Perry said. America must stand firm defending its freedom and liberty, Perry said. When terrorists attack our trade centers, federal buildings or airliners, the worst thing we can do as a society is to withdraw from our daily lives and commerce. When terrorists attack our military forces in Saudi Arabia or anywhere they are needed in the world, the worst thing we could do for our national security would be to withdraw our forces from where they are needed.