The families came together again to honor their loved ones at the site where their lives were stolen. The flags were at half-staff, and the bells tolled in New York City as they have in years past, sounding a peal of collective mourning for those killed on one of the darkest days in American history. Yet the somber, solemn rituals that annually mark a tragedy that brought New York and the nation to its knees were unmistakably altered at a time of another crisis — one marked by devastating loss. Except for the bagpipers playing sorrowful notes across the plaza, all those gathered at the Sept. 11 memorial wore masks. That included the visiting dignitaries, who greeted each other with elbow bumps rather than handshakes, and stood a distant six feet apart as an honor guard bore the American flag in front of them.

Source: New York Times September 11, 2020 09:01 UTC