20 Years Later…
By the Editorial Board
At 8:46 AM on the morning of September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into floors 93 through 99 of the North Tower at the World Trade Center. Instantly killing all passengers on board, the crash embroiled the tower in jet-fueled flames, condemning more than 1400 Americans to certain death. On a crystal clear Tuesday morning in New York, Flight 11 forever altered the fabric of American society.
The survivors of the initial impact, some hobbling down 90 flights of stairs, upon exiting the horror of the towers, found themselves in a new hell of dust, debris, and falling bodies. A large piece of twisted metal, a piece from American Flight 11, bore the American Flag on it — an ironic metaphor for a nation under attack. Our national Flag of freedom had mutated into a twisted testament to terror.
On that day, the American giant was knocked down — but not out. Al Qaeda tried to break us, and they took nearly 3000 of our very best in the process, but America did not break... it did not collapse. In the hellish rubble of the World Trade Center, in the shattered concrete facade of the Pentagon, and in a smoldering field outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania, America found strength and resolve. Three days after the attacks, George Bush belted the iconic line: "I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people — and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!" America would not be held down.
Perhaps the most stunning part of 9/11 isn't the sheer horror of the attacks or the protracted wars that followed but the tales of exemplary heroism and unmatched humanity in our nation's darkest hour. The country found horror in the image of the falling man but found empathy and compassion in the stories of Betty Ong, Welles Crowther, United Flight 93, and countless others.
These ordinary Americans found the courage to help their fellow citizens when their own lives were in great peril. In the face of death, they chose action, sacrificing themselves so dozens could survive. They sprinted into burning buildings, gave medical care, carried the injured to safety, and even stopped a fourth attack from fully materializing. These stories, along with the tremendous bravery of the men and women of the FDNY and NYPD, are symbolic of the American spirit and testaments to our nation's empathy and regard for our fellow man. On 9/11, we were all Americans.
In light of recent events in Afghanistan, the 20th anniversary has a decidedly political and tense aura to it. Just last month, the US raised its terror warning, and the same regime that housed and defended Al Qaeda is once again in power. It feels bitter, and many, including the loved ones of the attacks and the wars that followed, are outraged. But there is a time for politics, and there will be a time for answers. Today is not about politics. Today is not about finger-pointing or downplaying. It's not about pushing an agenda or being angry, but about remembering those we lost. On 9/11, we are not Republicans or Democrats; we are all Americans.
Today is about remembering each and every one of the 2,996 people whose lives were so unfairly and cruelly taken. The number 2,996 is daunting in any context, but it's overwhelming as a body count. Each of those 2,996 people had a family; they had apartments, children, pets, and spouses they never returned home to. They had dreams they never got to fulfill, and they all had loved ones who are still in pain today.
We all know the well-known stories of 9/11, but on this 20th anniversary, I encourage you to read the biographies of some victims. Among the 2,996 eulogies and biographies, two things become abundantly clear—first, the incredible scale of suffering and the horrible evil necessary to extoll such despair. And second, the gratitude the victim's families had for the impact of their loved ones on others. The messages are strained and emotionally raw but shockingly hopeful. As one father so heartbreakingly put it, "the only thing missing from my son's life was time."
So on this twentieth anniversary, and now as residents of New York, our Editorial Team is thankful. We're thankful for the heroism and extreme bravery displayed on 9/11. We're thankful for the incredible rescue workers who worked day and night for months to find survivors, bodies and clean up the rubble graveyard that was Ground Zero. We're thankful to the soldiers who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq and the intelligence apparatus that brought Bin Laden to justice. But above all, we're thankful to the families of 9/11 victims who continue to promote, educate, and preserve the eternal flame of this national tragedy. They remind us that we can never forget 9/11. They remind us that their loved ones did not all die in vain, and they remind us that the spirit of America is worth fighting for.
Photo via @tagtheflag
