Do I remember where I was on 11 September 2001? Of course I do. Anyone conscious on that day will never forget where they were.

We were up early and the NPR station that we listen to was about to go to a taped piece with Susan Stamberg about teachers when a live voice broke in and announced that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV to CNN. There it was. I yelled downstairs, “Turn on 22!” There was an audible, “Huh?” I couldn’t remember the name, CNN, all I could say was, “Turn on 22! A plane! The World Trade Center!”

Then we watched a fellow named Aaron Brown on top of a building with a live camera focused on the WTC. All we could think of was how many people worked there. How many were trapped. Just as that began to sink in, the second plane hit. At that moment, an accident became a deliberate act of hatred beyond comprehension. Now, we doubled our estimate of people dead. (more…)