9/11 anniversary: A day to remember the things that make America great | Di Ionno

The vendor has been in America for three years, selling Coca-Cola, hot dogs and pretzels to tourists around the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan.

He came from Egypt and now lives in Jersey City, and says he "must speak many languages," as he serves tourists from every continent. On this day, in a five-minute span, he has customers from Japan, Germany and India, and several from Spanish-speaking countries.

Somehow, food, soda and money are exchanged to everyone's satisfaction, all in front of the bronze relief memorial that runs alongside the FDNY's Ladder and Engine No. 10 fire station. It is one of the tourist stops at Ground Zero because six firefighters from that company died in World Trade Center terror attacks 16 years ago today.

The vendor's best language, of course, is his native Arabic, and he is conversant in Italian. Next is English.

"Not so good," he says.

This is borne out when he tries to give his name. He says "Abboud" but spells it "Apod" on a notepad, then follows it with a surname that is undecipherable to me. There is a name on his license that looks like what he is trying to say, but I opt not to take a closer look. These are scary times for immigrants, especially from his part of the world, and I choose not to unnerve him.

Near him, a family on vacation from Colombia takes its own snapshot in front of the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox National Shrine, which is still under construction.

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This is a snapshot of America in 2017: an immigrant vendor selling Coca-Cola to foreign tourists in the financial capital of the world, where a new skyscraper rose defiantly to take the place of the fallen two.

At the large fountains built on the footprints of the two towers, tourists -- American and otherwise -- look in wonder. Some trace the names of the 2,983 people killed in the terror attacks on the World Trade Center -- 2,977 on Sept. 11, 2001, and six during the truck bombing of Feb. 26, 1993.

The point is this: While our political climate grows more tense and antipathetic (or at least that's what we are led to believe by the coverage), people from all over the world still want to come here, to work, live or just visit.

Chandra Kalivarapu, his wife and children were taking a break from sightseeing by having ice cream in Zuccotti Park.

He's been in the country almost nine years, now working in Columbus, Ohio. He's a tech guy and worked at AIG in New York before moving west. Since the Dutch came in the 1600s, Lower Manhattan has been a gateway for immigrants and still is.

"America is a great country," Kalivarapu said, reflecting the sentiments of millions of immigrants over hundreds of years.

Just as an aside, Zuccotti is best known for the Occupy Wall Street encampment six years ago -- an exercise in our First Amendment.

"Congress shall make no law ... prohibiting ... the right of the people peaceably to assemble ..."

The fountain monuments and museum are solemn reminders of the worst attack on American soil. They remind of us of our vulnerability. They are Point A on the timeline of how our world has become an infuriating gauntlet of metal detectors and security checkpoints.

But the area around Ground Zero also reminds us of our resilience and unity in recovering from the attack.

Today is for mourning and remembering the terror attack victims. But it is also a day to take stock of what this country continues to represent in the rest of the world -- a day to look around Ground Zero and see the best America has to offer.

Promise. Opportunity. Freedoms other countries don't enjoy. Resilience. A spirit of volunteerism, of people rushing to help.

Ground Zero is near an abundance of American history, touchstones of American greatness -- from George Washington being sworn in as the first U.S. president and Alexander Hamilton establishing the country's economic base, to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin being celebrated as the first men on the moon in a 1969 ticker-tape parade.

The downtown architecture, too, is a monument to America's wealth and optimism. The great skyscrapers at 40 Wall St. and 20 Exchange Place, were built during the Depression, as was the American International Building. All are considered Art Deco masterpieces.

One hundred years from now, the dramatic glass and steel architecture of the new World Trade complex may be viewed the same way. As masterpieces and monuments to American resilience and defiance -- vestiges of the day the country came together and galvanized in recovering from the attack.

The 9/11 Tribute Center, now on Greenwich Street, is dedicated to the hope that rose out of the World Trade Center rubble.

Started by families of victims, it tells the story of the human kindness that was in evidence from the moments the planes hit, right up until today.

"We wanted to create a sense of hope," said Meriam Lobel, the tribute center's curator. "The attacks themselves were horrific but the response, the rush to help, is part of our American unity. People still have that unity. They still wish for that sense of community."

At front entrance is a quote by the Dalai Lama:

"Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects."

The final exhibit in the center is about the hundreds of service and charity organizations formed by families and friends of victims that have spread American goodwill around the world.

"People moved through this by doing things for other people," Lobel said. "To us, that is the message of 9/11."

It happened on Sept. 11, after Katrina, Sandy, Harvey, Irma, and every disaster in between. As a people, we bravely and generously run toward catastrophe. It's one of the things that make America great. Today is a day to remember that, too.

Mark Di Ionno may be reached at mdiionno@starledger.com. Follow The Star-Ledger on Twitter @StarLedger and find us on Facebook.

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