Baca berita tanpa iklan. Gabung Kompas.com+

Coronavirus Pandemic Alters 9/11 Tribute Traditions for Americans

September 11, 2020, 07.08 PM

NEW YORK, KOMPAS.com - The US presidential election and coronavirus pandemic has altered the way Americans are commemorating 9/11 this year.

President Donald Trump and his opponent in the November election Joe Biden paid respects to the September 11 victims at the same memorial without crossing paths.

A dispute over coronavirus-linked safety precautions is leading to remembrances in two locations Friday.

One is at the September 11 Memorial Plaza at the World Trade Center and another on a nearby corner.

Read also: Joe Biden Endorsed by US Democrats to Face Donald Trump in November Election

The Pentagon’s observance of the 9/11 attacks will be highly restricted that victims’ families will not be allowed to attend though small groups can visit the memorial there later in the day.

Trump and Biden are both headed — at different times — to the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Trump is speaking at the morning ceremony, the White House said.

Biden plans to pay respects there in the afternoon after attending the observance at the 9/11 memorial in New York.

Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence is also due at ground zero — and then at the alternate ceremony a few blocks away.

Read also: Mike Pence Warns US Republicans: “You Won’t Be Safe” under Joe Biden

In short, the anniversary of 9/11 is a complicated occasion in a maelstrom of a year, as the US grapples with a health crisis, searches its soul over racial injustice, and prepares to choose a leader to chart a path forward.

Still, 9/11 families say it's important for the nation to pause and remember the hijacked-plane attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people at the trade center, at the Pentagon, and near Shanksville on September 11, 2001, shaping American policy, perceptions of safety, and daily life in places from airports to office buildings.

Read also: Indonesia Reopens Flights to Wuhan and Other Chinese Destinations

“I know that the heart of America beats on 9/11 and, of course, thinks about that tragic day. I don’t think that people forget,” says Anthoula Katsimatides, who lost her brother John and is now on the board of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

Friday will mark Trump's second time observing the 9/11 anniversary at the Flight 93 memorial, where he made remarks in 2018.

Page:


Comment wisely and responsibly. Comments are entirely the responsibility of the commentator as regulated in the ITE Law
Report
Thank You! We have received your report. We will remove comments that conflict with the Community Guidelines and the ITE Law.

More Headlines

News
April 14, 2023, 12.38 PM

Indonesia Detects New Covid Arcturus Variant

Baca berita tanpa iklan. Gabung Kompas.com+
Baca berita tanpa iklan. Gabung Kompas.com+

MOST POPULAR

Baca berita tanpa iklan. Gabung Kompas.com+
Baca berita tanpa iklan. Gabung Kompas.com+
Close Ads
Oke