Comment

Ground Zero -- an American Tragedy, Not a Christian Opportunity

16
ThomasLite2/24/2013 7:55:01 am PST

re: #10 Varek Raith

It’s still true.
Besides, I bet if I went through the rubble I could find debris that resembles other religion’s holy symbols. Should we include those too?
This is a public memorial, keep religion out of it.

Had they, at that time, come to bear a similar significance besides just their religious value, have at it, as far as I’m concerned (by all means, the more the merrier!).
This thing has historic value related to that site simply because of the amount of interest it generated (and still generates) - ‘banning’ it (or whatever) just because it’s a specific religious item is as ridiculous as giving special treatment to one religion in particular, IMO.
Sure, the chances of an item from another religion gaining such significance is slim in this instance (simple issue of demographics), but that doesn’t mean this one isn’t historically relevant.
Hell, I was, what, 12 at that time? I remember a lot of people attributing some significance directly related to the events in question to that thing.
Do you have to agree with that? no, of course not. But arguing this is just an issue of religious imagery as opposed to something relevant to this memorial is insincere, IMO.
“Athest inclusion into the memorial”? well, sure. Include contributions from every last single significant demographic involved in a memorial as far as I’m concerned - that would be the ideal message on that site as far as I’m concerned.
However, the way they phrase it, again, argues this as a religious symbolism issue - which is only incidental to the actual point.
It feels similar to such groups arguing for the removal of WWI/WWII memorials from public land IMO - not an issue of equal rights as much as a pissing contest.