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For a history of the World Trade Center, see World Trade Center Living Archives. It does not yet have anything on the tragedy, but I would imagine that will come shortly.
Tragedy strikes. Soon the questions follow:
Who did this?
Why did this happen?
Why did God allow this to happen?
There will even be some who assert there can be no God, for no loving God would allow such a tragedy to occur. Ironic if it turns out that these acts were carried out in the name of religion and on behalf of someone's god.
A tragedy like this makes us pause. Priorities are soon straightened out. You give your kids an extra tight hug. You kiss your wife longer. You call dad and say, "I love you." You pray--for survivors, for the nation, for safety, for yourself and your family.
One minute you head to work, or are beginning work. Then a "We Interrupt This Broadcast" event occurs. You listen intently to the radio, or watch the recap on television, as the initial tragedy occurs--a high-rise skyscraper is aflame, and it appears a plane has slammed into it. One might think of 1945 and a military plane flying into the Empire State Building in fog. And you wonder why it doesn't happen more often (you later learn that flight paths are deliberately set up to avoid the towers or, as residents in Tempe, Arizona, now know, the placement of buildings is studied for possible interaction with airports).
And as you watch the unthinkable happens. Another jet comes onto your screen. You are too numb to give it a second thought--a plane passing in the distance, perhaps. It even seems outsized to the untrained eye not used to seeing jumbo jet and skyscraper in close proximity. After the jet disappears from view, seconds pass when a fireball suddenly appears. At first, it is assumed the second tower catches fire from the first. Then the full impact of the event hits--a second jet has slammed into a second tower and you soon feel this is no longer just an airline accident but a much greater tragedy.
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