No jokes today.
The above photo was taken on Thursday September 6th 2001. My father, brother and my brother’s girlfriend had come down to the city for the day. I was originally going to take them to the World Trade Center but instead opted for the Empire State Building. Not to worry I remember saying. There will always be another time to go to the World Trade Center. Little did I know that five days later the towers would be gone.
September 11, 2001 was a warm late Summer day. It was primary day in New York City and the Democratic candidates for mayor were out campaigning. I had voted early that morning and then had plans to go upstate to visit my father and sister. I arrived at Grand Central, bought my round trip ticket and sat back. The train left at 8:48 AM.
As the train approached Yonkers one of the passengers told the car that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. No further details. Most of us didn’t think it was that serious. It might have been a small prop plane. So there wouldn’t be much damage.
A little further and we heard that there was an explosion at the other tower. Perhaps a news helicopter had hit it. At this point all we knew was that both towers were on fire but the extent of that fire no one knew.
Gradually the full horror of the day was revealed.
Both towers had been hit by passenger jets and were burning out of control. The first thought on everyone’s mind was “who would do this?” My first and only thought was “Muslims.” Naturally, since this is New York, some passengers speculated that it was white militia groups.
About halfway through the ride the train stopped and the conductor came on. I will never forget his words:
The Pentagon has been hit and they are evacuating the White House. Both towers are burning out of control. Do not attempt to get back to the city. All bridges and tunnels have been closed.
It was then that we knew that this was not just another ordinary day.
Shortly before the train arrived at my destination someone said, “They’re gone. The Towers are gone. They’ve collapsed!”
There was disbelief on the train. How do steel towers collapse? (And the truther movement was probably born right there.)
When the train arrived at Poughkeepsie and I got out both towers had collapsed. There was a panicky crowd at the ticket window asking about their loved ones and if any more trains would be coming north. (As it turned out, none were. I was on the last train out of New York City that day.)
I spent the night in Poughkeepsie and took a train back to New York on September 12th.
When I arrived in the city I was struck by two things. How a normally bustling and busy city was quiet. No businesses were open. And also I remember the smell. The entire island of Manhattan smelled like a giant electrical fire: Sour. Sickly.
Manhattan was closed below 14th street. At 14th street I got angry for the first time. Not at the destruction but at the peace protesters. They had hung “Give peace a chance” signs around a statue of George Washington and were strumming acoustic guitars. Oh those wacky Democrats I thought to myself.
What happened that day makes me angry. It still makes me angry. To call Islam Medieval is an insult to the middle ages. Islam is pre-medieval. It is stone age. It is barbaric.
Only gradually over the next two weeks was lower Manhattan opened in stages. These are some of the pictures I took the weeks after 9/11.
The remains of the World Trade Center in the background:
And again:
Ground Zero: (And if you close down the pussycat lounge you’re in trouble!)
Ground Zero:
Ground Zero:
Ground Zero:
(951)
