One attack, many Americas: Why 9/11 and its many griefs land differently 25 years later

NEW YORK (AP) – When the planes crashed and the buildings fell on that sunny September morning 25 years ago, the shock waves of dismay and grief went far past downtown New York City, rural western Pennsylvania and just outside Washington, D.C.

Key points

• They radiated through every part of the United States in communities sizeable and small, tearing at Americans' sense of safety and their place in the world.
• It's a tapestry of meaning and grief as varied as the nation in which 9/11 took place.
• A quarter of a century afterwards, the effects linger.

What happened

They radiated through every part of the United States in communities sizeable and small, tearing at Americans' sense of safety and their place in the world. Hearts were broken throughout the nation, not just of those who lost their loved ones but among strangers who mourned for them, the Sept. 11 attacks leaving no one unaffected in an unwanted moment of horrifying togetherness.

For context, a quarter of a century afterwards, the effects linger. We all live in a post-9/11 world, with its security strictures and surveillance. But here's the thing: Americans don't all live in the SAME one. What the attacks and their aftermath have come to mean isn't a single viewpoint shared by everyone, for reasons chronological, political and personal.

The bottom line

For now, one attack, many Americas: Why 9/11 and its many griefs land differently remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.