The world was robbed of the 21st-century Twin Towers most of us always wanted.
Click above for more comments that rebuke the cynicism that tried to replace the Twin Towers and failed.
Please Note: This petition is meant to provide a forum for this subject alone. It is a petition, not a bulletin board. We will not sanitize controversial remarks if the comments are primarily in support of the petition’s purpose. But off-topic remarks are subject to removal on a case-by-case basis to keep the focus where it belongs. Thank you.
Important Mention: Those who read back over the comments will find that from time to time we have highlighted excerpts to help those who only have time to skim a page get a sense of what people are thinking and feeling. We rarely do that now and it was never a methodical effort, but just a window on public opinion regarding this monumentally important issue. The important thing to know is that no comment matters more than any other. Each one is valued and helps make the case that the public was sidelined on something that mattered so much.
TTA Note: Occasionally a current signature will disappear. When that happens it is because someone who has already signed the petition signs a second time and when the second signature is validated the two are automatically merged and appear in the original chronology. If someone leaves a second signature and comment, it automatically overwrites the earlier placement when the validation link is activated. If it isn’t activated, or it is made using a different email address, there will be duplicate signatures. When we recognize that someone has signed before, we will delete the earlier entry and, if it was verified, verify the new one, since the clear intention is to make the new comment visible. We may decide to manually include the earlier comment at the end of the current message.
Regarding anonymous signatures: Taking a stand using one’s full name is always preferred, but when a name is withheld, the signature and sentiments are still of value. In every case, we have an email address that corresponds with the entry and is kept private.
* Indicates that the signer has not yet activated the validation link, often due to spamblocking software. They are included out of respect for the sincerity of the comments.
It would be really nice to rebuild the towers, if only to show America's resilience. I think that the new World Trade Center 1 ("Freedom Tower") is a beautiful building in its own right and we should be proud of the work that construction crews are doing on it now. It is certainly a proud achievement. But rebuilding the towers would send a message to the world that America is resilient and will not back down when others try to push it down. They say you "can't go home again" and no one should feel we are bringing back the Towers. We can no more do that than to bring back the nearly three thousand innocent souls who perished that tragic day. But what we can, and I believe must, do is to show to the world that we are intrepid people.
TTA Note: We make it clear that we are not advocating for 40-year-old towers, but for a 236-year-old system of self-government. More important than showing the world that we are an intrepid people is showing ourselves that we honor our country's values. The problem with the "Freedom Tower" is that it is an affront to the democratic process. It was conceived and hatched with no regard for the will of the people and is only visible because for ten years, every step of the way, the public has been lied to. And construction workers were lied to. Buildings are built every day. Building a building that represents the polar opposite of what it claims to stand for is not noble -- it is a terrible disservice -- not on the part of idealistic and dedicated workers, but on the part of the agency and officials who subverted the recovery most of the country wanted and deserved -- and was paying for. What good is it to be intrepid if we are deluded?