FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 26, 2005
Contact: Anthony Gardner
Coalition of 9/11 Families
amg@wtcufg.org
(973) 216-2623

Alliance of Fifteen Major 9/11 Family Groups Say International Freedom Center Does Not Deserve Place on Sacred Ground

New York, NY — September 26, 2005 — What part of “NO” do the International Freedom Center and New York officials not understand? How long does Governor Pataki intend to twist the knife in the wound that is Ground Zero by allowing the IFC folly to continue?

The alliance of fifteen major 9/11 family organizations representing a decisive majority of victims’ families rejects outright the arrogant and absurd justifications offered by the IFC for remaining at Ground Zero. We are joined by over 47,000 Americans who have signed the petition at www.takebackthememorial.org calling for the removal of the IFC. We are joined by the Uniformed Firefighters Association, Uniformed Fire Officers Association, the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York and the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association which together represent over 106,000 active duty and retired first responders in rejecting the IFC. We are joined by New York Congressmen Vito Fossella, Peter King and John Sweeney in rejecting the IFC and support their plans for congressional oversight hearings on how the LMDC has spent America’s tax dollars. We are joined by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in rejecting the IFC. Our numbers and our voices will only continue to grow larger and louder. The IFC does not deserve a place on sacred ground and must go. What’s taking so long?

The IFC completely violates the memorial mission statement by referring to how they will “strengthen our resolve to preserve freedom.” They forgot the most important part – the opening line - “May the lives lost, the deeds recognized, and the spirit reawakened be eternal beacons that strengthen our resolve to preserve freedom.” Moreover, at no point did the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation in its call to cultural institutions ever indicate that any cultural institution had any role to play in interpreting the events of 9/11. These responsibilities were given solely to the memorial and memorial museum of which the WTC Memorial Foundation is gatekeeper.

The IFC is a redundant institution that intends to appropriate 9/11 content in order to create an artificial connection to the site and use it to promote a decidedly political agenda. They intend to steal the stories of our loved ones away from the memorial and memorial museum – to pillage the most important artifacts like the Koenig sphere – to blatantly plunder a family-driven initiative called the ‘Living Memorial’ - to ransack our highly personal family tributes and belongings that we keep in our family room. All this in order to force families and the public to visit the IFC and force feed their views. Where in the absence of leadership is the gatekeeper that should be zealously guarding all that is most precious to the memorial and memorial museum? Why is the gatekeeper allowing Tom Bernstein and friends to exploit 9/11 and go on a veritable looting spree?

Contrary to what the IFC suggests, the memorial and memorial museum are not just places to “mourn and reflect.” These are the places that give 9/11 historical meaning. These are the places where our children and grandchildren will go to learn not only about the tragic events of that day - the loss of the bright, brilliant and beautiful people who had so much to give to future generations – but also the stories of heroism, the nation’s resiliency, the world’s response and the unprecedented outpouring of goodness and humanity. If visitors to New York want a lesson in world politics, they can take a taxi ride over to the United Nations. What kind of arrogance allows the IFC to even suggest that these stories – the victims’ stories - our stories – the nation’s stories - are somehow not enough or that they should be divided with the IFC taking the inspirational spoils? To do so will taint and trivialize a seminal moment in our nation’s history, politicize it, and subject the United States to worldwide mockery.

So where can the IFC go? HELP should be plentiful from the illustrious team of advisors and prominent museum officials loaning their influence to the cause. Perhaps Robert C. Wilburn, President of the Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum Foundation will make room on top of the graves of U.S. Soldiers in Pennsylvania. His museum – which is singularly focused - outgrew their current museum and is now erecting a new one OFF the sacred ground of a battle site where so many lost their lives. Or perhaps Louise Mirrer, President and CEO of the New York Historical Society will offer up space in her facility. After all, the South African Constitution played such an integral role in the history of New York. And maybe Sara Bloomfield, Director of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum would consider giving the IFC the entire first floor of her fine museum in Washington, D.C. To be sure, visitors will be confused at first when they enter the building and expect to learn about the Holocaust only to be told about Abe Lincoln and events 100 years prior. But perhaps she feels the lessons of the Holocaust will be lost to the world unless they are told in the context of a civil war on another continent.

If these alternatives won’t work, and a connection to 9/11 is as essential as the IFC maintains, Mayor Bloomberg may be able to help. There is a lovely garbage dump on Staten Island known as Fresh Kills where the cremains of our numerous unidentified loved ones rest because they were not properly handled. Mayor Bloomberg believes this is perfectly appropriate and stubbornly refuses to seek funds to move them. If this location is dignified enough for the Mayor, perhaps it’s equally fitting for an illustrious institution like the IFC.

If the IFC’s supporters had any decency at all, they would withdraw their support if for only one reason. Millions of visitors to the memorial and memorial museum will be turned away annually – thousands daily - because New York leadership and the LMDC lacked the foresight to understand visitation demand before arbitrarily assigning space. The LMDC stubbornly maintains without showing the supporting evidence that after an initial surge in visitation, memorial visitors will level out to 4 million annually over time. How can this be?

Last year alone, 3.6 million people journeyed across water – the only way to access the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island. Prior to 9/11, Lady Liberty hosted 5 million annually and that number was increasing. Memorial visitors will come on foot, by train, ferry, bus, car and taxi. If the pilgrimages to Ground Zero after 9/11 are any indication, the initial number of visitors for this memorial will likely range between 9 and 12 million, leveling off to many more millions than what the LMDC purports over time.

Those visitors that are lucky enough to get in to the memorial if current plans prevail should fear for their safety because plans likely won’t adhere to NY City and State safety codes. We also reject the changed plan for a narrow one-way-in one-way-out scheme designed to discourage visitors by evoking horrific memories survivors have of evacuating the twin towers. We reject burying the 9/11 museum in an underground bunker with inadequate capacity to tell the stories authentically and accommodate the millions of people who will make the pilgrimage to learn, bear witness and pay respects. We refuse to accept any plan until the LMDC can prove that it’s responsive to what America expects in a memorial and memorial museum and can welcome the world with open arms.

What’s left to understand? The IFC has no place at Ground Zero. They cannot be trusted to tell any aspect of the story of 9/11 without turning it into a generic atrocity and hoodwinking America. LMDC has lost its compass. Governor Pataki is abroad and cannot be reached for comment. Mayor Bloomberg is on top of the world but out of touch with reality. The gatekeeper is not minding the store. Can you hear us now?

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Advocates for 9/11 Fallen Heroes (rjtallon@cs.com, jalel31@hotmail.com, l59e85@aol.com)
Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund (www.cantorrelief.org)
Coalition of 9/11 Families (www.coalitionof911families.org)
Fix the Fund (www.fixthefund.org)
Give Your Voice (www.giveyourvoice.com)
Margie Miller 9/11 Support Group (WTCFamilyCenter@aol.com)
9/11 Families for a Safe & Strong America (www.911familiesforamerica.org)
9/11 Families for a Secure America (www.911fsa.org)
September 11th Families Association (www.911wvfa.org)
September’s Mission Foundation (www.septembersmission.org)
Skyscraper Safety Campaign (www.skyscrapersafety.org)
Voices of September 11th (www.voicesofsept11.org)
W. Doyle 9/11 Support Group (www.joeydoyle.com)
WTC Families for Proper Burial, Inc. (www.wtcfamiliesforproperburial.com)
World Trade Center United Family Group (www.wtcufg.org)

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