North Tower Antenna Mast

The Newseum in Washington, D.C., has a permanent exhibit featuring headlines from around the world following the horror of 9/11/01, including the antenna mast from the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

It is not enough to remember all those who perished in the 9/11 attack. We must also remember all who perished and who will perish as a result of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts as well. It should serve as a sobering reminder that whomever we elect to represent us in the United States, they must be qualified to lead us and lead us wisely in times of great crisis. Our elections should not be determined by campaigns waged by pre-packaged candidates and partisan PACs with millions upon millions of dollars to spend on reckless, fear mongering tv ads and hit piece direct mail campaigns. It's said that the 2012 Presidential election will top 1 billion dollars. Think of the good that would do to underfunded school districts, community food banks, homeless shelters instead of lining the pockets of political ad agencies, printers, and owners of tv stations.

Reflections, National September 11 Memorial

Reflections off the mirrored glass of the museum at the National September 11 Memorial.

New World Trade Center Complex

A partial view looking north from the South Pool at the National September 11 Memorial in New York City. One WTC has been topped at 1,776 feet, making it the tallest building in the U.S. To it's right is Seven WTC,  completed in 2006. The Memorial Museum is in the foreground.

Visiting The National September 11 Memorial

This image, looking south, shows the effect of reflected sunlight from the surrounding mirrored-glass buildings situated to the east of the memorial onto the shadows of the visitors, trees, and plaza itself. Sunlight is coming from the west, or right side of the image. It's quite beautiful and a testament to the consideration given to the design of the memorial itself and the construction of the the new World Trade Center complex altogether.

World Trade Center, June 2012

On the Big Trip back East this past Spring to meet our new grand-daughter for the first time, my wife and I also had the occasion to visit NYC, and thus, the opportunity to re-visit Ground Zero,  the new World Trade Center Tower, and the National September 11 Memorial. It was simultaneously inspiring, sad, and troubling for me-inspiring because it is a testament to our human and American spirit to not be cowed by tragedy and the progress made since our previous visit in 2009; sad because of the events on 9/11, those preceding that made it possible; troubling because of all that has transpired and been lost nationally and world-wide since.

Nevertheless, the experience was re-affirming: while I am eternally grateful for a loving family, friends, and associates, I am also reminded of my great fortune to live in a country whose greatness is founded on the principles of our Constitution and Bill of Rights, the greatest document to emerge from the Age of Enlightenment and brought forth by our Founding Fathers, which, by the way, also just happened to change the world forever. It also serves as a punch to the gut reminder that its guarantees have been mortgaged and paid for as much, if not more, by the blood  and sacrifice of all that have served us in our armed services from our earliest hours as a nation till now as it has by the collective political wisdom and insight of our best and brightest artists, writers, philosophers, educators, janitors, masons, ironworkers, policemen, firemen, doctors, lawyers, nurses, aides, interns, temps, farmers, fieldworkers, engineers, cabbies,  carpenters, plumbers, and oh, yes, investment bankers and politicians, too, making it possible for me to witness these Phoenix like moments, write these words, and recall Ben Franklin's response when queried about what type of government we have: "A republic, madam, if you can keep it."

With this in mind, and with this being an election year, please, if you are an American citizen, 18 years or older, register and vote. It's the least you can do for those who went before us and for those whose time is yet to come. Not to mention that whom you vote for also may determine whether we keep our Republic of, by, and for the people and not some some corporation masquerading as a person. Thanks for reading this far, if indeed, you have.

9/11 Remembered- WTC Site in 2009

October, 2009. Ground Zero construction. The major networks today are replaying their tapes from 2001 along with the broadcasts of the ceremonies in NYC, Washington, & PA.
How much has changed since then and since this photo was taken!

Remembering 9/11

Construction at Ground Zero in NYC, October 2009. A very somber day today, ten years later.