"Today is a holiday in Massachusetts -- Patriots' Day. It's a day that celebrates the free and fiercely independent spirit that this great American city of Boston has reflected from the earliest days of our nation. And it's a day that draws the world to Boston's streets in a spirit of friendly competition. Boston is a tough and resilient town. So are it's people. I'm supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together, take care of each other, and move forward as one proud city."
-- Barack Obama, April 15, 2013