Shortly before David Shuster’s show, “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue” was replaced by “The Ed Show” on MSNBC, David’s focus was the redevelopment and memorial at Ground Zero in Manhattan. Consistently, he invited family members on who lost loved ones at the Twin Towers to discuss their feelings. Many of them did not agree with “The Freedom Tower” plans for that site and were angered that their voices had no merit or weight with decision makers.
On their site, Rebuild the Twin Towers, they go onto say, “The coverage on MSNBC of the Twin Towers II alternative to the official plan for Ground Zero finally directed a sustained light on a matter that deserves to be decided on the merits, not as a result of powerful special interests manipulating the information the public is allowed to have.” September 11th, 2001 happened to we the people and I do think we should have the final say of what is built there and those special interests should listen not only us but the family members left behind to grieve a lifetime of loss.
This site goes onto say, “we thank David for encouraging a debate that has been stifled for far too long. The momentum is still on the side of getting the facts out.” The responsibility of a journalist is to bring pertinent material to their audience and David Shuster did that. As he discussed what should be built at Ground Zero, he was deferential to those that mattered most; family members.
In these days of ‘gotcha journalism’, his interview with these family members was compassionate. At least he remembered who is at the heart of this debate. Thank you, David Shuster for involving all of us in this debate.
The plan that was overwhelmingly supported by these family members was to rebuild the Twin Towers as they were before in defiance to those who took them down. I think that is what most Americans would want. In seeing those plans on David’s show, it was what I would want. I do miss seeing the Twin Towers grace the skyline of New York City and hate those who took them down.
In this country, we are supposed to be the ‘can-do-country’ where things get done. So, I was astonished to read this article tonight, WTC office towers could be put off for decades. Excuse me: Did I read that correctly? We were once attacked by a foreign entity known as Japan at Pearl Harbor and yet, yet we were able to come together and build a memorial to those who died there. It has been close to eight years since we were attacked at Ground Zero, yet nothing is there to help us remember that day; only a gaping hole with the start of constructing something.
We are a country that has sent several manned missions to the moon and it is taking this long to build on that site? We have sent several unmanned missions to Mars and here we still are with nothing at Ground Zero to commemorate those who died as planes crashed into those buildings. I am sorry, I am banging my head on the desk at this one. Such stupidity.
On April 19th, 1995, a deranged man, Timothy McVeigh bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City and in the blink of an eye compared to Ground Zero, a memorial was dedicated on April 19, 2000 by former President Bill Clinton. We must remember that this terrorist bombing took the lives of 168 people. To help we the people remember that horrific day stands 168 empty chairs.
The reason for this delay is lack of financing by Larry Silverstein and our current economic crisis. In fact, the article cites, "Executive Director Chris Ward on Thursday cited the exodus of major financial firms like Merrill Lynch and AIG from downtown Manhattan as a reason to not flood the market with 10 million square feet of office space at the same time — about 2013." It goes onto say that “Ward said that Silverstein was free to build his three towers on his own.”
Such confusion going on in a sacred place. A place where thousands including police and firefighters lost their lives on that bright summer’s morning. Where is the will of these people to get this accomplished? Sadly, it is lacking. They are not made of the right stuff.
I would report what the rest of this article states, but all I do see is utter confusion and no cohesion coming from decision makers as to when these buildings will be completed and any memorial to our fallen Americans.
If nothing can be readily financed there, at least build a simple memorial similar to the one built that memorializes those lost on April 19th, 1995 in Oklahoma City. It is the least we can do to help us remember the 2,752 victims that died on that bright summer’s morning. Truly a day that will live in infamy and in our hearts and souls. They are forever with us.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
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