Crescent of Betrayal?
I was forwarded an e-mail recently that warned how the proposed Flight 93 memorial was designed in a crescent shape to honor Islam and desecrate the memory of the brave passengers. This sounded like somewhat of an Internet urban legend, so I decided to do my own investigation.
I was surprised to learn that Congress had authorized 57 million dollars to create a giant memorial in the field in which the plane crashed. The field has been purchased by the government and it is now operated under the National Park Service. The proposed memorial is something of a gigantic theme park. I thought that a modest monument listing the names of the passengers would be appropriate. I could not imagine that the government would try to turn this rather minor incident (historically speaking) into something on the historical significance of a Gettysburg.The memorial design was awarded to Beverly Hills architects Paul and Milena Murdoch. Their proposed design was an intricate display which includes:
The Field of Honor
Entry Portal
40 Memorial Graves
Ponds
Sacred (?) Grounds
Western Overlook
This memorial is all enclosed with giant slabs in a crescent shape. The original name was called Crescent of Embrace.
Well, it seems that some people became upset assuming that the crescent shape was somehow advocating Islam. This is somewhat strange as the crescent has been a popular architectural form used in Christendom for the past 2,000 years.
But to try to quell the controversy, the architects further closed the crescent with trees and renamed the memorial The Circle of Embrace. However, this did not calm the controversy as many people still saw a crescent shape hidden within the memorial.
The idea that architects from Beverly Hills would somehow secretly try to pay homage to the Islam faith seems rather implausible to me. The entire memorial reeks of the typical religious phobic, New Age, politically correct gobblygook that is the cancer that invades our entire society. (Just this month the Park Service paid special tribute to the four African-American passengers as part of Black History month.)
I find it offensive that 57 million dollars was spent on a shrine that encourages the Oprah styled victimhood that we now seem to cherish. A simple monument listing the names of the passengers would have been respectful and appropriate. As Americans, we need to move beyond wallowing in 9/11 self pity.
In my video I analyze if the crescent is really an exclusive Islamic symbol.
As I repelled from some of what you said (particularly the word 'minor' but I won't get into a shouting match over one word), I do agree wholeheartedly that the memorial ought to be subtle, humble, rational. Even a simple memorial building, with names listed inside - perhaps the size of a rest stop with rest rooms and some nice displays, would be much less than millions and millions of dollars.
ReplyDeleteBut even a nice stone with names there would be perfect. Our government spends too much money on everything.
The other memorial run by the Park Service in Pennsylvania is Gettysburg. Gettysburg was considered the decisive battle of the Civil War. Approximately 51,000 Americans died in that battle. As such, Gettysburg was a major historic event in American history.
ReplyDeleteFlight 93 was a crime committed by four terrorists. 40 Americans died. It was a horrible and tragic event. But compared to an event such as Gettysburg, it is quite minor. Creating such an elaborate memorial actually gives the terrorists more credit than they deserve.
I see this point, very clearly; I think it really should be simple, out there in a field, and small.
ReplyDelete