Friday, May 20, 2005

The World Trade Center debate by The Political Heretic

Return of the Towers

Donald Trump unveiled his vision for a larger and supposedly "more structurally sound" version of the Twin Towers that collapsed after two terrorist hijacked airplanes crashed into them on September 11, 2001.

Some, no doubt, would dedicate a new, different building to their loved ones, but unity eludes those who wish to replace the Twin Towers with a memorial. Mr. Trump has yet to reveal the source of his funding (perhaps that will be the job of the winning apprentice on his tv hit show "The Apprentice") but I support his vision for a return of the Twin Towers.

What an act of defiance! The terrorists may have knocked them down but only temporarily. The terrorists may have killed themselves for their cause but our sense of who we are lives on. We may have suffered a terrible blow with the World Trade Center bombings, but we returned bigger and stronger.

New York officials could have a memorial for the 3,000 plus World Trade Center workers who died but it should not be the focus of our attention. Build a small memorial. Let the would-be terrorists see that their victory was short-lived, and the buildings they so carefully planned for destruction are back.

World Trade Center Feedback

I could not imagine the response I got from my post on the World Trade Center plan revealed in Donald Trump's press conference. Earlier this week, Mr. Trump proposed to replace the Twin Towers which collapsed from the terrorist attacks with a grander, larger version and I made a few comments supporting that proposal because the terrorists should know that their victory was, at best, a temporary one and that we could rebuild anything they destroy.

None of this would prohibit us from building a memorial for those who lost their lives on that horrible day. If my recollection serves me correctly, a third, smaller building associated with the World Trade Center collapsed as well. We could build a memorial where that building once stood, and still have the new, much improved Twin Towers proposed by Donald Trump. The memorial would remind us of those who perished on that fateful day, and the Twin Towers of the need to stand tall and defy those who brought us that horror.

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