Wow. I have very mixed emotions about the statue, as I'm sure most do. It is
everything that Jan Herman said that it was: "Is it provocative? Only
insofar as it depicts the horror of 9/11. Is it graphic? Yes. Is it
personal? Yes. Is it tragic. Yes. Is it art? Absolutely." But there is so
much more to the story than that. I think that it is our duty, as Americans
to remember everything that happened and to memorialize those moments in
art. But, as part of an American family it is also our duty to be respectful
of those most directly affected by the events of Sept. 11th.

If it was a family member of mine that was killed, I'm not sure that I would
want that raw horror on display for every visitor to Rockefeller Center. As
an American, I am afraid that too much contact with the horror would
belittle the events and our individual connections with them; I am afraid
that our emotions might become numb after too much contact. If we are
respectful of other people as individuals and as Americans then I think it
is only fair to be cognizant of their reactions to such an emotional
subject.

I agree that charges of censorship to the statue are premature. I think that
enough time has passed since the bombing of Japan to reflect on the events
without belittling the emotions or the people involved, hopefully people can
be objective with those events. I think objectivity is still way too much to
ask of people evolved in events that occurred only one year ago.

I hope everyone is looking forward to a great weekend!

-Suzy

Jennifer "Suzy" Powers
Fort Bragg Cultural Resources program
[log in to unmask]
910-396-6680

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