Letters: Issues with 9/11 anniversary
Cindy Rivera, 4, of East Meadow, touches a steel artifact from the World Trade Center that is part of a memorial in Eisenhower Park in East Meadow. (Aug. 2, 2011) Credit: Newsday / Karen Wiles Stabile
As the sister of firefighter George Cain, murdered on Sept. 11, 2001, I couldn't care less about hearing another politician or nonfamily, non-rescue person give a speech or read a poem at the anniversary memorial ["Getting political over 9/11?" News, Aug. 19].
The day is about those who died, those who tried to recover and rescue, and the families, not the politicians. Period.
We don't need security and scrutiny that day, we need remembrance and honor and dignity. Period!
Nancy K. Nee, Holbrook
Christians worldwide and people of good will should be outraged that this Ground Zero crossbeam will be used as a religious icon, just because it is shaped like a cross and put on a pedestal and blessed at Ground Zero ["Touching tributes from WTC steel," News, Aug. 21]. It was one of many crossbeams that fell, cascading to the bottom, in an event that killed nearly 3,000 souls. To equate this beam with a true cross is absurd and borders on sacrilege.
Imagine a Sept. 11 widow visiting the 10th anniversary commemoration and having to explain to her children that this is one of the crossbeams that had a role in killing their father, and it has been blessed. God did not bless the crossbeam; a human taking advantage of people's religious sensitivity, along with his ego, had the brilliant idea.
City firefighters gave this beam an official escort from the warehouse where it was in storage, back to the horrors of Ground Zero, to be blessed, knowing full well that this crossbeam, along with many others, failed and took down 343 brave brothers.
Albert Mustakoff, Bayside
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has raised the possibility that the annual name-readings of Sept. 11 victims may end after this year's 10th anniversary ceremony, which is unthinkable. What's next? No longer using the phrases "we will never forget" and "we will always remember" in describing events of that tragic day?
Let's hope the city's tight economic situation is not behind the suggestion.
Bob Buscavage, Moriches
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