September 11 Remembered: 2001-2020

h. nazan ışık—

11 September 2020—

It is the day that families and friends of victims who died on 11 September 2001 when two hijacked planes hit the WTC 1 and WTC 2 towers, gathered at ground zero, 9/11 Memorial, to honor loved ones.

Though today’s event is different than any other ceremonies, no room for political campaign, but still any annual ceremony reminds me of a political platform. I have heard that Vice President Mike Pence and Joseph R. Biden Jr., the Democratic candidate for president, United State Senator Chuck Schumer, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio etc. were going to be there.

I like to go there after 15:00 (3:00 p.m.), the annual ceremony is over, ‘only family hour’ is over, when it is open to public. Now it is open to friends of victims, to anyone who likes to visit.

A young girl is honoring her father’s best friend with yellow roses. (Photo: h. nazan ışık /NKENdiKEN)

This year I was looking for something different than red roses, flags, pictures of victims, and I saw these yellow roses.

Roses that attached to names looked like a sea of yellow roses (photo: h. nazan ışık / NKENdiKEN)

Just one yellow rose and One World Trade Center ((photo: h. nazan ışık / NKENdiKEN)

Sunflowers were another yellow flowers, (photo: h. nazan ışık / NKENdiKEN)

Heart (Photo: h. nazan ışık / NKENdiKEN)

A boy, 6 or 7, was drawing hearts with water for every names.

“Do you know them all, family members?” I asked.

“No. But no flowers, no flags, no pictures, nothing for those names. I guess no one came to visit them. So I am drawing a heart and sending my love to them” he said.

I looked at his mother. She smiled.

The most beautiful gift, and most touching words they were I heard.

Outside of the 9/11 Memorial there were some protesters, in a way, asking questions about 9/11 with messages.

“We are not from NY, but come here on 9/11” they said. One was wearing a T-shirt reads “ 7 Didn’t Blow Itself Up” (photo: h. nazan ışık / NKENdiKEN)

A young man, alone, was there with his “WTC 7 Didn’t Blow Itself Up” sign said he comes here every year. (photo: h. nazan ışık / NKENdiKEN)

And more questions or reminders especially on World Trade Center 7, which was collapsed at 5:20 p.m., hours after the WTC 1 and WTC 2 towers collapsed that morning.