Published by deborah.woehr on 13 Mar 2006 at 08:32 am
9/11: New York is Divided
Governor George Pataki considers the construction of the underground memorial a milestone in the aftermath of 9/11. The Coalition of 9/11 Families has filed a lawsuit, in the hopes of preserving history.
Families find it an insult that the memorial placard will be placed underground, where visitors can’t see it from the streets above. Another issue they have is the safety of the design. You can read more at Construction Begins on WTC Memorial.
I can understand both sides of the argument. It’s important to grieve, and it’s important to move on. A couple of weeks ago, I sat in the barber’s lounge area while my boys were getting their haircuts, and read the TimeLife book on 9/11.
Those pictures brought back some sharp memories. A penpal that lived a mile and a half away from WTC. My father-in-law who was in Philadelphia, attending his brother-in-law’s funeral and celebrating his mother’s birthday (which was on 9/11). My sons, who asked me when PopPop was coming home and if Osama Bin Laden was going to blow up their house and school.
I can understand the WTC families’ pain, indirectly. As far as I’m concerned, there will never be any real closure until Bin Laden is captured and executed for his crimes. Until he is, the only thing we can do is move forward despite the pain.
pat kirby on 13 Mar 2006 at 9:10 am #
My views on “grieving” are controversial.
Basically, I think America (and probably the western world) has embraced the culture of the victim, a sort of Oprah Winfrey ethos where every pain is nourished and cherished like a twisted child.
It sucks to lose someone. Absolutely, rip-your-heart-out sucks. But life MUST go on. There was a time, before the modern conveniences of our day, when you had to go on, rather quickly. Otherwise, the wood wouldn’t get chopped, the animals (your food source) wouldn’t get fed and you and your family would starve.
I’ve read numerous editorials written by people complaining how, after a time (months), all but a few friends drop away after a tragedy. There’s always a note of condemnation, as though friends should mope with you for months and years on end.
How utterly selfish. Sorry, but it is. The best way to honor a lost friend or loved one is live your life. Live it with honor and compassion for others.
There’s nothing wrong with a memorial, but the current tendency to wallow in our pain (and expect everyone else to follow) is a pathology, not a strength.
deborah.woehr on 13 Mar 2006 at 4:39 pm #
That’s right on the money, Pat. Although we can never erase the pain, we can use it to help others cope.