In the papers on 9/11: Moving on

On the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the national newspapers have their stories for the occasion. A recurring theme: More than a decade later, Americans are beginning to mark the occasion in a less public way.

New York Times: "Across the country, the elements of a Sept. 11 anniversary commemoration have become familiar, from the World Trade Center site in Manhattan to the Pennsylvania field where United Flight 93 crashed to the dozens of New Jersey towns with neighbors to mourn. After the commemorations reached a peak of sorts for last year’s 10th anniversary, a sprinkling of communities have decided to scale back — prompted, they say, by a growing feeling that it may be time to move on. Nearly every ceremony will be smaller this year, even at the epicenter of the attacks."

Wall Street Journal: "New York marks the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks Tuesday with a simpler ceremony than in years past, marking a shift in the way the city remembers the 2,977 people lost that day. ...  "I think that closure isn't the right way to think about it," Mr. Allison said. "It never really goes away. But at least you learn to put it somewhere that it's not in your face all the time. It's not a raw wound."

USA Today: "Nearly 70% of Americans say they somewhat or strongly agree with this statement: "I have moved on from (the events of) Sept. 11," according to a new American Pulse Survey. ... Today, how people live out the anniversary varies greatly. Half of Americans will observe today in an informal way and 12% will do it in a formal manner, according to the American Pulse Survey. About 30% said they will not do anything different today, and 8% said they didn't have an opinion.

Washington Post: "It could be the only day before Nov. 6 without explicit partisan rancor. Both President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney plan to take down their negative ads in honor of the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Neither planned to appear at overtly political events, although Election Day is never far from their agendas."