A young man standing next to me exclaims “this is the payback for the U.S. and Israel pulling out of the racism conference in South Africa”. I restrain an angry reaction. ”Isaac and Ishmael were both sons of Abraham” I reply. He shrugs. I mention this attack exceeds Pearl Harbor. He turns his back.

The Chambers Street station is chaotic, people milling, a myriad of police, firemen and rescue workers gathering in the area leading to City Hall Park. I head up the stairs, worried I will be late for class.

Exiting in City Hall Park, I immediately see the Towers burning behind the clean vertical Gothic shaft of the Woolworth Building. The street is a chaos of slowly moving gawkers, police, fire engines, cop cars, emergency vehicles, a cacophony of sirens and horns.