Ground Zero Sacred?
Let me start by saying that back in 2001, as I watched survivor stories of the World Trade Center, I cried like a baby. So I fully grasp the degree to which 9-11 was a national tragedy.
But in 2007, it’s time to get real. There are all sorts of reasons to react emotionally to the visit of Mahmud Ahmadinejad, but to say that he should not lay a wreath at Ground Zero because it is sacred ground is a bit much. A sacred site should have a memorial built on it and certainly not be considered for commercial use. Ground Zero is now a construction site for a building that will one day house lots of Wall Street boys and girls making big money. If you want an example of how to treat sacred ground, look at Hiroshima. Hiroshima has a memorial to promote the theme of peace. The Japanese have treated their Ground Zero as sacred ground.
Our answer to President Ahmadinejad should simply have been that no one, regardless of political background, gets to lay wreaths at construction sites. Sanctity has very little to do with it.
Respectfully,
Rutherford
1 comment September 28, 2007
