It’s been 25 years since 9/11

Today is the 25th anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attacks in history, which took the lives of nearly 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001. Commemorative events are taking place across the country to honor the victims, as the nation reflects on the tragedy that transformed American society, politics, and national security.

President Trump will participate in a ceremony at the Pentagon, Vice President Vance will attend a memorial event at ground zero in NYC, and other administration officials will pay tribute to United Airlines Flight 93 victims in Shanksville, PA.

For the first time…the 9/11 Memorial & Museum at ground zero will add a moment of silence for those who succumbed to illnesses caused by toxins in the rubble from the Twin Towers, who outnumber those who died on 9/11. Earlier this week, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani released 170,000 pages of documents suggesting that city officials knew that the air around ground zero was toxic following the attacks, while telling the public it was safe to breathe.

Healing wounds

Lower Manhattan has come a long way since Robert De Niro co-founded the Tribeca Film Festival in 2001 to aid its economic recovery. The city area that suffered the greatest devastation now has about three times the population and almost the same number of workers as it did on 9/11.

The World Trade Center underwent a $20 billion reconstruction. The area now contains the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, a gleaming mall and performing arts center, updated public transit options, and several office towers housing companies like Spotify and Condé Nast.

Some post-9/11 practices are receding. This week, the TSA began allowing some non-passengers to access airport boarding gates, which was common before the 9/11 attacks transformed flight security.

As time passes…almost a third of Americans were born after 9/11, giving historical social media accounts, city initiatives, novels, and poignant eyewitness accounts a greater role in remembrance.—SK