Do you like the memorial at Ground Zero? HERE is an article on it. The designer, Michael Arad, calls the two big squares with water falling into them VOIDS. Does the concept of a "VOID" do it for you?Here's part of the article: "A jury including Vietnam Veterans Memorial designer Maya Lin chose Arad's twin waterfalls out of 5,201 entries, saying it embodied the grief and the desire for healing that the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks inspired."
Do those VOIDS embody grief and a desire for healing for you? I'll hold my opinion until I get a few of yours; I'm eager to hear.
Thanks.
32 comments:
I think I'd have to see it in person to have an opinion. I know today my non-political Vietnam Vet husband just passed by the TV while I was watching and he liked the waterfall pool.
Maybe there just isn't a good way to reflect on that day. It's just too horrible to contemplate.
Personally, at least today, I'm thinking the best tribute would be a sculpture of Bin Laden, with that bullet ripping through his skull. Hopefully, tomorrow I will be in a better Christian mood.
Z - I haven't given a lot of thought to the 9/11 Memorials.
But I can't quite connect with the word 'void.'
I do know that I'm opposed to more 'towers' being built, and favor the idea of a park, the water, and in general just a meaningful place where people can go to honor the memory of those who died,and those whose lives were tragically altered by 9/11.
Having read comments expressed today on blogs, I felt that healing is the prime word here, not lack of forgiveness or vengence.
Doesn't 9/11 itself speak enough of violent acts that should make us want to think the opposite - in honoring the dead.
~~~
The article mentioned that the architect who designed the Vietnam Memorial was on the panel to choose the 9/11 Memorial.
I just wanted to add that when I have visited the VN Memorial, I have always had a sense that it was right. The enormity of seeing all the names of the fallen troops together, had an impact on me - one that will remain with me for the rest of my life.
It had to be something large. I am not a fan of the design as locals are not happy with it.
Then again the criticism is mild compared to that of the Martin Luther King Memorial.
I would have prefered something more natural looking. We are all a part of something larger and life's.
Rita, a lot of people do like it. I don't much like the idea of HOLES, VOIDS representing 9/11, and I'm not sure our lost Americans would, either, but I can't speak for them, of course.
There's apparently a huge building going up on the site, so that's a good thing!
I like your idea of a terrific tribute!!!
Sue, the 9/11 memorial includes names, too, I think? I know Shanksville does.
At the John Bolton speech/luncheon I attended today, a kid's choir performed and their leader said she hoped these children would not know about 9/11 ...they shouldn't think about it.......I said to my friend they MUST think about it; they were nearly all born after 9/11 but if they don't remember, we're lost. Got to keep our dukes up.
Beak, locals don't like the holes?
I don't know about the MLK memorial..in NYC?
Ahhh Z. Don't know if you read my post on the young girl in my office who seemed to know nothing about the passengers of Flight 93. God, we should never let our children or grandchildren be so oblivious to our history. I knew about the horror of Pearl Harbor even though it happened 18 years before I was born.
Why in the name of God would we let today's children be so ignorant of our history? That woman has no place anywhere near our children or else the little girls that she influences will be donning burqas in the very near future.
Z - The article did mention names, I just forgot to mention it.
I think that names would be an important part of it. At the VN Memorial, it was the names that made it so personal and real.
I can't imagine that the children's choir director meant that the kids should not KNOW about 9/11.
For one thing, it is unavoidable for them to know - but in the right way.
I would say that they should not be taught about it in an entirely negative way, but to be taught the facts of what happened and the impact it had on our country.
I would not want the vengenge and hate that I sensed in some today to be ingrained in them - for what good would that do.
I think water always implies restoration, healing ... life itself.
It's an existential void and you have to build your own understanding. No preconceived aphorisms.
(vengence)
I would not want my comment to be misconstrued as being 'soft' on what happened.
But children must not be taught hatred - they discover that presence in the world all too soon on their own.
@Beakerkin would have prefered something more natural looking.
=============
Water is pretty natural.
Z, I think I actually do like the holes. You must admit, there certainly is a "void" where those buildings once stood, and also in the hearts of family and friends left to grieve their loss. Having the names all there was almost a no-brainer and I would be upset if they weren't listed. Being a Vietnam vet, I am very in-tune with the importance of that feature. I would have preferred to see more local influence on the design, but that is only my opinion. All in all, I'd have to say it has been a job well done, and I am sure it will be visited--and accepted--by the masses, just like the Vietnam Wall and all of the other Memorials in D.C. and throughout the country.
The most important part is that there IS a memorial there now--finally.
ducky - 'water always implies restoration, healing'
When I am at the ocean, or even a river, it is the constant movement of water that I find soothing - and at the Memorial it could give people a feeling of 'moving on,'
or healing - instead of the negative thought I get with 'void.'
Almost forgot Z, if you have ever wondered what the Average American looks like, check out the 3rd or 4th to the last of my posts.
whoops - don't know how that happened. I've been fooling around with different email addresses,etc,
Oh well, it's only my name.
I'll try to get it straightened out. :=)
There's no privacy anyway these days. Anyone can track down anyone without much effort. :-(
Well sue, the void is there. You have to determine how to fill it.
'Well sue, the void is there. You have to determine how to fill it.'
So, ducky, I get to determine how to fill the void.
I will not fill the void with the same matter that made the void.
The void was made by negative actions. So in order to turn around those negative actions, I will fill it with positive actions.
When people look into the void, I want them to see Hope, Love and Charity.
How's that for starters, ducky?
I find this memorial not a memorial at all. It's a hole in the ground. That's what it is. Is that how we see America? I don't.
It's depressing, and dark, and to me it signifies defeat. Yes it was a terribly cruel day, but America has always risen above defeat, and gone on to greater heights.
The victims of 9-11, should not be cast as going down a drain, nor should our country, and this is how I see it.
To answer Z's question, a void is nothingness, is that what we are? Is that what the victims were? No it's not.
To honor Americans should be a phoenix rising from the ashes, or in our case an eagle standing guard.
Ah the Duck can not see the Forrest for the trees. A natural waterfall looks better than a man made slab.
Z
The Martin Luther King memorial in DC drew heavy criticism for its stern depiction of MLK
Maybe the 9-11 memorial will grow on me. At least the basin was not round as that would conjure up images of a toilet.
Pris - An Eagle standing guard is not what we want at the Memorial.
Our Eagle standing guard is our stong Military - in readiness to protect our country.
At the Memorial we want to send a message of Hope, of the Enduring Princiles that our Country was Founded upon.
Z: I'll quit posting here, as some apparently see my anger for this day only as "hatred". In only ten years we are supposed to not teach our children the horrors of that war inflicted upon innocent civilians. We are supposed to roll over and just let it all happen again.
I was not taught to hate the Japanese because of Pearl Harbor, but I was taught the lessons of that day.
I don't believe in teaching our children to hate anyone, but to allow them to not know anything about 9/11 is a travesty and will most assuredly result in our demise.
I'm done. I cannot abide by those who tell me to just get over what I witnessed that day. I don't abide by hatred of muslims, blacks or any race, religion or even those who have a political belief differently than mine.
I DO take exception to those that want to label me intolerant because they think I should just forget all of it.
I WILL NOT. The only thing "positive" about that time was the way Americans came together and the heroism that was displayed that day.
I"m OUT. I just will not let myself be labeled by someone who lives and breathes under the very freedom my husband fought for insinuate I am full of hate.
As I said in a previous comment in one of your post. SCREW political correctness.
Tomorrow morning I will go about living a normal life and THAT is my revenge. But our American flag will still be flying in our yard, make no mistake about that.
Rita - You didn't mention my name, but I feel that your hostility is directed toward me and my comments.
I will stop posting here. I am an outsider on this blog.
You stay, I'll go.
Rita, what the heck happened here?
Someone dissed you??? What's addressed to you here?
Everyone: I just wanted opinions....and I appreciate them all.
I think you all have good points....that's what I was looking for; Opinions.
Actually, I was out all day and finally got to watch some of the coverage of the day's goings on...I liked it better the more I saw; until the artist spoke and the museum director; with these RIDICULOUS hokey platitudes that just make you want to burst into laughter.
Well...lots of people were on the jury to decide what would go on that land and who are we to say, right?
I will say I hate the idea of remains all being thrown together and feel for the mothers fighting to stop that; but I guess the remains are pulverized so there's really nothing else they can do.
It's just so awful.
'
Everyone I saw today felt like they were under a dark cloud of memories.
In church, we sang GOD BLESS THE USA and AMERICA....I had to quick think about something else because I nearly choked and had to stop singing and the band needs to stay above it if we can. it was tough
Sue, I'm, open to other suggestions, but going down the drain is not one of them.
Btw, we will not heal until our foe is beaten. Candlelight vigils won't do it, and neither will political correctness.
The Eagle is our national symbol of strength. It does not apply only to the military, but to our people and our country.
Rita, I hope you'll stay. You're not the only one who feels as you do, believe me.
Pris, so true about Rita. We want you here, Rita :-)
Pris, aren't you getting a little tired of the big group hugs and candlelight stuff? It's almost hackneyed, sadly.
I have to admit I liked the water more when I realized the HUGE building's going up there and all those wonderful trees (I'm a big tree hugger, I have to admit!...I have a tiny birth mark on my shin which resembles the silhouette of an oak tree and I've always credited my feelings toward that! :-).......but, still, they're like two big DRAINS with water running down them. WHy not water fountains built UP? Water shooting into the sky...."we're HERE! We're BACK...we SURVIVED!"
splash :-)
I like the waterfalls; they make me think of "rivers of life." And "the voids" don't bother me. After all, when one loses one's beloved, the void never goes away.
So many families recovered no remains of loved ones. Were I a family member, I'd want "burial." But Manhattan real estate is too valuable to let that many acres stand idle.
I spent a good bit of the day, Sunday, watching the Science channel programs on the construction of the new World Trade Center. The story of the technologies going into the new building, and train station, incorporating the things they learned from 9/11 is fascinating.
The good thing about the memorial that I saw was the metal edges of the holes where the names of the victims are engraved. The survivors seemed to want to touch their loved one's names.
In the daytime, the laminar flow of water around the sides of the holes is interesting, and was probably calculated to have a soothing effect. At night, underwater lights make it a beautiful thing. I don't know if the citizens of NYC like it or not, but it looks OK to me.
I am most disappointed by the memorial at Shanksville that still tries to incorporate the crescent of Islam. It is insulting.
Bob, I'd heard years ago that they were trying to represent islam at shanksville...where do you see it now? I'm interested...and grieved, of course, and disgusted.
Bob, I agree about the names written like they are; particularly that they're bunched with friends, etc. It couldn't have been easy to do that.
Always, I think it's weird to have VOIDS to honor people whose lives were voided by monsters..it's like reliving it again to me, but I do think the whole acreage as displayed in futuristic drawings from above looks nice...
I see them as open sores....wounds that will never be healed.
I'm probably in the minority, but I believe the WTC site should have been left as is, smoldering rubble in place.
At several historical sites around the country, you can still find blood-stained rocks where great battles of the American Revolution and Civil War took place.
Nobody's ever going to raise the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor.
A huge mass of rubble and debris, reeking of death. That's what people visiting the WTC site should see. A reminder of why America MUST continue to fight for freedom against terror and tyranny.
Now, direct the anger you want to fling at my post appropriately.
There's a reason why you're in the minority, beamish. Most of us must eventually get on with our lives and attempt to heal inflicted wounds, not perpetually rub salt in them.
But hey, whatever floats your boat. If a smouldering hole in central Manhattan helps you to salve your sister's pain, who am I to disagree.
There's a reason why you're in the minority, beamish. Most of us must eventually get on with our lives and attempt to heal inflicted wounds, not perpetually rub salt in them.
Got your 9/11 commemorative coins yet? Complete with pop-up WTC towers made from real melted goldjewelry and dental silver recovered from the debris? C'mon now, operators are standing by!
But hey, whatever floats your boat. If a smouldering hole in central Manhattan helps you to salve your sister's pain, who am I to disagree.
I got over that walking beside my sister at Wal-Mart in her full niqab.
"I got over that walking beside my sister at Wal-Mart in her full niqab."
Oh, man, oh man.
It was too long, and the news commentators kept interrupting the reading of the names by the victims families. I thought that was rude and a waste of time. I couldn't watch it all day. Just too long. And, most importantly, they should have had Christian leaders speaking instead of the one Muslim leader hypocritically reading from the Holy Bible. I was almost positive he'd read from (as he puts it) "The Holy Q'ran". His advisers no doubt had to stop him from doing that.
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