There were memorial services on the U.S. West Coast Friday for the victims of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Many people remembered the dead as others responded to calls to help the victims' families.
A memorial service at Glendale Community College featured music and moment of silence. The event drew hundreds of students and faculty members to the college's central plaza.
At Dodger Stadium, near downtown Los Angeles, the American Red Cross collected cash donations for relief work now underway in New York and Washington. Louis Hernandez explains why he came to contribute. "Just to help out the people in New York and in the Pentagon. To support the United States, America," he said.
Los Angeles resident Huisu Clark was another donor who welcomed the chance to express her concern for the victims. "I've been watching television for the last three days and feeling pretty sad. And I just kind of wanted to do something to help everybody out," she said.
Another Los Angeles resident, Dorothy Cullen, said her thoughts were with the families. "Mainly the children who are parentless. I can't even imagine the horror that these people are going through," she said. "And this is the least we can do."
At Glendale Community College, student body president Dan Wengert said the mood on campus is solemn. The college has 500 international students, as well as resident immigrants from Armenia, the Middle East and elsewhere. He says some students are asking how such a tragedy could occur in the United States, and others are speculating on possible responses. College president John Davitt said he hopes the U.S. response will be reasoned and measured, and not motivated by anger.
Los Angeles city officials also held a mid-day memorial in honor of the victims of the terrorist acts. Mayor Jim Hahn told the city's people in a televised interview that in the wake of the attacks, some aspects of their lives are going to change.
"We just have to be on our guard a little bit more," he said. "We're going to have some inconveniences that we haven't had to deal with before. I hope people react to that in a very positive way. Understand, this is something we need to do to protect all of us. But what we're not going to do, I think, is to allow this to get us down. There may be fewer Americans today, but I think as a country that we're stronger."
Some of the thoughts and comments of the people of Los Angeles on this day of remembrance.