More on WTC…

I was one of those who thought we should build something even bigger to replace what was there and I still feel that way. If we did, “Wouldn’t it be a target?” some people would ask. The only thing I can think to say in reply is, we can’t live in fear.

There will always be people that don’t like us as a nation, hell there are times I don’t like us as a nation and I live here! Still, we can’t live our lives in fear. We have to move forward, to learn from our past and to make things better in the future, if there’s one thing we can take away from the whole thing, let that be it, to do better.

If I had my way, I’d build something that was a cousin to the Empire State Building, or even a big brother so the Empire State Building didn’t look so alone in the skyline. Something that would balance out the skyline. I didn’t think much of the World Trade Center when it was there and I’ve lived in and around New York all my life but, I sure miss those building now that they’re gone.

It just doesn’t look right (the skyline that is). I spent several years driving in and around the city and I can remember how the city looked from all the different ways you approach it - whether over the BQE, out along the turnpike in Jersey, cresting the bridge over the train yards in the Bronx, on trains or on planes we’re missing something and it won’t be right until something is there in its place.

I also don’t mean to do a disservice to anyone who died there. I’d make the bottom 20 or 30 stories of the building a huge open space with a statue (really, really large one) depicting the firefighters and policeman who gave their lives helping people. The perimeter of where the buildings stood would be marked with a waist high rail. Along the top of the rail would be an angled surface with the pictures, names, biographical data and country of origin of the people lost in the event.

All four sides of this open space would have huge glass surfaces allowing light into the area and letting the memorial be visible from outside the structure. Somewhere around the fortieth floor would be a publicly accessible roof park/garden. Basically the lower portion of the building would be a base for a more slender spire rising up out of that base.

Anyway, I procrastinate on these things but, that’s what I’d do.

One other thing I’ll be sure to do though… I won’t forget that day (I don’t think any of us will).