9/11 20th Anniversary: Pennsylvania Political Leaders Reflect On Terrorist Attacks
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Local political leaders are among those reflecting on the attacks on 9/11. One day before the 20th anniversary of the day that changed the world forever, Eyewitness News spoke with officials who say we must make sure 9/11 never happens again.
"Every single day, there are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of Americans who work toward that end to keep us safe," Sen. Bob Casey said. "And we have to make sure they have the tools they need, the funding they need, and the support that they need."
Caseys says that 9/11 was a day that moved in slow motion for all of us. He added that he hopes to create legislation aimed at terrorist attacks.
"We still have some work to do on that," Casey says. "We're gonna have to update and sharpen our counter-terrorism strategies."
"To see a building of that stature come down and see the next one come down and realize all those people were stuck in there were gone," Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said.
At 8:46 a.m., the first American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Then, 17 minutes later, another plane crashed into the South Tower followed by a third flight that struck the west side of the Pentagon.
Then, there was a fourth flight that missed its intended target and instead crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf says we not only mourn the victims of 9/11, but we celebrate the heroism of the American people.
"We remember our first responders and all those who went into danger on September 11th and the days that follow to protect others," Wolf says.
On Saturday at the Betsy Ross House during the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Kenney has a message to Philadelphians.
"Be kind to each other, be respectful to each other. Don't get caught up in the viral arguments of today's politics," Kenney said.
On Saturday, Casey and Wolf will participate in the Flight 93 Memorial event in Shanksville.
Kenney will lead Philadelphia's annual remembrance ceremony that starts at 9:59 a.m. at Fireman's Hall Museum.
