Solemn remembrance

Why oh why can't everyone just get on the same page with the World Trade Center Memorial. New outrage has emerged over the recent op-ed by Debra Burlingame over just who controls the strings at Ground Zero. Its a very moving piece, but I think the most enraging part of it is not just about what is planned by the IFC. Burlingame goes on the describe the chief partners in the IFC, most of whom are seen by the right wing as America-hating commie bastards (or some such nonsense). Please keep in mind that as Michelle Malkin points out, "...the driving force behind the IFC is Tom Bernstein, a longtime pal and business partner of President Bush.".

So now that we got out of the way that the 'hijacking of Ground Zero' is being done by both right wingers and left wingers, let me ask an obvious question. Why in the hell is there anything to the monument other than victims names, pictures, artifacts and other memories from that tragic day. I know I'm weighing in after the horse has already left the barn (huh?), but lets take a page out of the Oklahoma City memorial. Nothing belongs at Ground Zero but a monument to the vicitms. Not a freedom center, not a picture of Iraqi's holding up their purple finger, not anything other than what happened on that fateful day and who were the victims.

Simple, eloquent and moving. I ask, what more is needed than that? Political statements? Oh God no.

And to top it off...some righties still claim this absurd notion:

Burlingame says that the center is practically being turned into
what Bill Maher has wanted: a Why They Hate Us Pavillion.

Yes, there are actually people still out there that don't think there are any lessons to be learned from 9/11 but violent ones. Having said that, those lessons shouldn't be taught at the memorial.