|
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. — Marcel Proust
The memorial is the natural starting point for any proposal to make the site more fitting. The illustration above is not disrespectful of the 9/11 Memorial and certainly not of the 9/11 families. Editorial cartoons are meant to make people face facts and this one does that very well. The American public has no idea how the current memorial and museum came to be. The official design was strongly challenged by many victims’ loved ones from the start and their concerns have never received the respectful airing they deserve. It is time for them to be heard — and this letter released in 2018 will open a lot of eyes and hurt a lot of hearts. The memorial is and will always be at the heart of the site. But what the cartoon so clearly displays is that two voids directing the attention down into oblivion is not the symbolism America needs to broadcast. Confucius taught: “If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things. If language be not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success…” Symbols speak so much more loudly than words that even a Martian can understand their meaning. That is why erecting one tower with the same dimensions as the North Tower in place of the two that were destroyed is clearly not a recovery. How could it be when it is the image of the 10 AM skyline after the South Tower collapsed? And that is why it so disappointing to hear that building called the tallest tower in the Western Hemisphere, when much taller roof lines can been seen in the distant skyline. Credibility matters. The memorial pools have served an important function since 2011, but it is time to start looking up instead of down if we are still overcomers — which is what Americans have been since the first foot stepped onto Plymouth Rock. That is the message of an op-ed published in the New York Times in 2005, which is thought-provoking and included below. Around the same time, one of the earliest comments on our petition pointed out: “Nothing has rewarded the jihadists more than the ongoing sight of a world landmark wiped off the face of the earth.” And that is still true! The syndicated cartoonist who sent us the Martians in 2006, added words from our petition along the right side. And going on twenty years later, they still ring “in accordance with the truth of things.”
WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, share the belief that nothing could be more inspiring to our people, or disheartening to our enemies, than Twin Towers, at least as tall as before in every respect, soaring above Ground Zero. We believe that the devastation of September 11, 2001, clouded the picture long after the rubble was cleared away and that a thorough public examination of the rebuilding option is overdue and now required before proceeding on an unalterable course. We recognize no financial or political roadblocks that cannot be overcome if rebuilding the Towers is the will of the people. And, we see no conflict between stunning Twin Towers and a noble Memorial, which belong together on this site that means so much to us all. We submit that there is only one way to truly heal the skyline of New York and the heart of America: Rebuild the Twin Towers. Doing anything less would leave a permanent scar on the face of New York and diminish a legendary city.   
|
