PressEthic

Little Green Footballs Tuesday called attention to this article at Yahoo, which discusses the controversy over the proposed 9/11 memorial in Pennsylvania.

CNN posts this AP article on its website describing the proposed memorial:

The chapel, featuring 40 chimes symbolizing each of the victims, will stand at the entryway to the vast park. [snip]

The memorial in Shanksville, Pa., will also include pedestrian trails and a roadway leading to a visitor center and the actual crash site, which will be surrounded by a crescent of maple trees. The victims' names will be inscribed on a white marble wall. The winning design was warmly received by more than 50 friends and relatives of the flight victims. They cheered and gave a standing ovation to the design, which was chosen from five finalists.

Many of the commenters at LGF seem to agree that the memorial is inappropriate, pointing out that both the crescent and terrorism are associated with Islam, and concluding that terrorism should not be celebrated at a memorial to the victims and heroes of September 11, 2001.

Michelle Malkin discusses the memorial more at length, gathering statements from news sources and blogs that cover both sides of the controversy. One quote she attributes to “Reader Simon Tan,” whose letter recommends:

I propose a single block of unfinished granite, representing the enduring and unvarnished legacy of Flight 93 with the immortal line, “Let’s Roll” hewn into it in 5’ high letters. A panel below should be smoothed and polished and the names of the fallen engraved there along with a description of their actions that day. In front of this would be a simple paved plaza with one flagpole facing the monument in their honour. Let the memorial be simple and straightforward, uncluttered by the baggage of others and with a clear and unambiguous message for all who would stand before it.

The emphasis was added by me. Why? Because that part of his description reminds me of the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, which doubtless inspired him.

I’m young enough that all I remember personally (or was alive for) about the Vietnam War is going to see this monument, but in reading about the Wall’s design, there was one detail that always stood out to me.

The Wall was designed by Maya Ying Lin, a Yale architecture student, and at the time it was derided for not being traditional enough – so much that the Three Soldiers portion of the memorial was added.

The Wall was not considered patriotic enough, traditional enough, or meaningful enough – and some opponents objected to her Asian heritage as well.

Can an Asian properly memorialize the fallen of Vietnam? Can a memorial to the tragedies of 9/11 evoke -- even inadvertently -- symbolism sometimes associated with Islam and still be appropriate?

Clearly the answer to the first question is "Yes." As for the second, time, the memorial's committee, and the American people will decide.

Perhaps the crescent is not the most appropriate design. But it’s ironic that one of its opponents would prefer to replace this design with one based on a memorial that, in its time, was considered just as objectionable.