New York ? To grasp simultaneously the promise of and the perils facing America, nothing can surpass sequential visits to Liberty Island, Ellis Island and Ground Zero.

And to realize that promise and ward off those perils, there is no more powerful action than the careful exercise of a central blessing of democracy: the right and responsibility to vote.

My passage through significant periods of American and world history started with a water ride to the place where the Statue of Liberty stands with unending inspiration. I was dismayed but hardly surprised that passengers faced tight security to board the boat. The screening was similar to what is required to travel on commercial flights, which I duly noted, after a lengthy wait, as I shed my shoes, emptied my pockets, removed my belt, answered questions and walked through a metal detector.

Upon landing at the island, I began the walk that leads to a stunning face-to-face meeting with the mother of all beacons. I could not help thinking about how the statue had symbolically welcomed so many – including ironically the 9/11 terrorists – to U.S. shores. Those perpetrators took the welcoming hand that extends from freedom and democracy and delivered treacherous thanks.

We owe it to the victims of Sept. 11, to ourselves and to our descendants to elect leaders who understand the terrorism threat – and are willing to respond to it in ways that both defend and reflect American values.

Continuing to Ellis Island, I followed in the footsteps of millions of people who came to America by legitimate means, hoping to apply their talents and dreams to the task of lifting themselves up, all the while contributing to the building of a great country. The motivations have changed little over the years, although far too many immigrants today choose clandestine, illegal means to enter the United States.

The ensuing crisis demands resolution in a way that is fair – to the newcomers and to those who have followed lawful paths to America. Voting for thoughtful leaders who propose comprehensive, lasting solutions to the immigration conundrum, not politically expedient ones, is essential.

My pilgrimage ended at Ground Zero, in silent communion with the thousands who departed within minutes on that terrible day slightly more than five years ago. Violence is certainly not new to the American experience. Born out of conflict, the United States has faced relentless pressure from global tensions – particularly transnational, ideological, revolutionary forces – over the years.

Unfortunately history and its lessons are too often forgotten as the demands of daily life intrude and distract. When the Cold War ended a decade and a half ago, most people were only too happy to embrace the possibilities of a new era defined by peace and prosperity.

It was not to be, for terrorists – with their own transnational, ideological, revolutionary plans – had nefarious ambitions. At Ground Zero, as well as at too many locations the world over, terrorists have lashed out against the established order. Their attacks, though brutal and stunning, have commonly prompted not capitulation but solidarity and the will to resist.

How does one maintain that sense of defiance and the importance of succeeding, which grows more difficult as time passes without incidents similar to 9/11 in the United States?

Again, the answer will come from electing leaders who have thought deeply about the world, grasp the United States’ interconnectedness with it, understand the need to build Americans’ awareness about long-term global challenges and are committed to resolving problems that foster strife. That is unquestionably difficult. As the late President John F. Kennedy once famously said, however, we choose to undertake certain tasks not because they are easy but because they are hard.

Americans should use their constitutional right and responsibility to elect leaders who choose the hard rather than the easy, tackle the thorny dilemmas of our time without shrinking and engage with the intention of prevailing.