Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Event/Special

America's New War: New York is a City of Sadness

Aired September 19, 2001 - 06:55   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: New Yorkers, you know, they pride themselves on their resiliency, but they're now facing their stiffest challenge ever.

CNN's Maria Hinojosa takes a look at how last week's tragedy has changed but not broken the spirit of New York.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New Yorkers are usually grumpy, in a hurry, pushy. Today, we are a city of sadness -- sad faces, sad reminders, sad places.

RONNIE DORAN: It's systemic. It's absolutely every part of your body aches. You hurt mentally; you hurt emotionally. I -- personally, I've just had such pains -- bad stomach pains since it started just like perpetual.

HINOJOSA: Total strangers comfort one another. A hug means so much more, it seems.

BLANCA FELICIANO: Everybody is so sad. They -- excuse me -- it's like you can see in their faces that they really lost somebody.

HINOJOSA: Because as much as we would like, we can't seem to move on just yet. Everywhere you turn, it's the missing that stare back at you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You find yourself crying sometimes when you never even expect yourself to be crying.

FRED WILLIAMS, NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT: I never thought I would, but once in a while, it gets down deep and grabs a hold of you. But we've got to fight through it and keep going, you know.

HINOJOSA: At the playground, the children seem happy, but even here the grimness seeps through.

ALAINA CARLUCCI: See, everybody is so subdued, but yet people are so kind, you know. They are -- everyone is walking around and very quiet, not really interacting too much with each other. But, you know, you glance at somebody and somebody gives you a look, and you know you're thinking the same thing, so there's kind of a support. HINOJOSA: It's been a week since the tragedy. The streets are filling up. We walk the streets together, but still our sadness is our own.

(on camera): I remember the exact date and time of the first time I smiled since Tuesday. It was Friday for a few seconds. I'm waiting for the next smile, soon, I hope.

Maria Hinojosa, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.