Like so many others, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) turned to Twitter on Tuesday to reflect on the 11th anniversary of the devastating 9/11 attacks.

But rather than penning a blow-by-blow recap of where he was on that fateful morning or obsessing about the eerily similar weather, McCarthy (@GOPWhip) challenged the digerati to sum up the earth-shattering event in just three words.

A McCarthy aide told HOH the #911inThreeWords pitch was actually the brainchild of digital director Justin LoFranco. But the boss man obviously ran with it, getting the ball rolling with his “We saw courage” tweet and the wordsmith-baiting hash tag.

McCarthy followed up throughout the day — “Strength. Courage. Resolve.” was one that seemed to resonate with people (vigorously retweeted) — but soon just became another voice in the crowd.

Patriotic tweeters seized upon the theme, trumpeting the underlying unity (“America still stands,” “race didn’t matter”) the horrific tragedy inspired. Fellow California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa echoed their sentiments with his “E Pluribus Unum” post.

Many vowed to never let the hostile act fade from memory (“day everything changed,” “still in sorrow”). Others went on the offensive, heeding the terrorist act as a clarion call (“Waking the Giant,” “This. Is. War!”). Some lamented the far-reaching aftershocks (“civil liberties eroded”).

Of course, no Internet lovefest would be complete without that one irreverent contributor. In this case, the honor fell to Dan Isett, the public policy director at the fun-policing Parents Television Council, who weighed into the somber remembrance with: “I got nothin’.”