Posted on 04/30/2006 6:27:21 AM PDT by Fintan
This weekend's opening of the movie United 93, following this month's painful public airing of the cockpit recording from that 9/11 tragedy, will undoubtedly inspire more pilgrimages to Somerset County, Pa.
Thousands of people already have traveled to remote Shanksville to pay their respects at the resting place of 40 heroes who died to prevent a fourth hijacked plane from destroying a Washington target on Sept. 11, 2001.
Guided by volunteer ambassadors, visitors meditate at the tree-lined grassy crater where the Boeing 757 crashed. They place tokens of remembrance along a chain-link fence.
It's all they can do until the country builds a more appropriate memorial to the courageous passengers and crew of Flight 93.
Memorial plans are proceeding apace, but funding is not. Last week, victims' families had to resort to begging outside the very building their relatives probably saved: the U.S. Capitol. It was an outrageous insult to memory.
"Those of us in Congress on Sept. 11, 2001, may well owe our lives to the heroism of those who fought back on that flight," said Sen. Arlen Specter (R., Pa.), joining families at the news conference.
Specter, Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.) and Rep. Bill Shuster (R., Pa.) were appealing to Rep. Charles Taylor (R., N.C.) to approve the initial $5 million the memorial needs to buy land. As the powerful chairman of an appropriations subcommittee, Taylor has enormous sway over national parks projects. He has blocked the Flight 93 project for two years.
Taylor said in a news release and television interview that he was concerned about the lack of a state contribution and the slow pace of private fund-raising.
In January, however, Gov. Rendell sent $250,000 of the $10 million promised from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Private donors are responsible for $30 million of the $58 million memorial cost. So far, they've raised $7.5 million. Universal Pictures has promised to donate 10 percent of this weekend's gross receipts from United 93. Movie promotions also urge donations.
The White House and National Park Service strongly back the expected federal installment. Taylor seems to be the odd man out.
He is correct that America would dishonor Flight 93 by setting unrealistic goals that didn't account for the long-term funding needs of the memorial. But this project has wisely sought multiple partners from the start. It's shown flexibility in changing the shape of its crescent design, under irrational assault. It's been sensitive to the host community.
Americans need a fitting place to remember the first victors in the war on terrorism. The Flight 93 memorial deserves funds to get rolling.
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A related link from the same rag. |
53 million dollars !?
I'd bring all this up with Charlie Sheen and Alex Jones. They'd have you believe there wasn't even a plane that crashed out there. It was some Bush administration scam drone that was flown by remote control as Bush ordered 100% of the military to stand down.
The lunatic tin foil hat hate pukies of the left purvey that the actions of the brave Americans was pure fabrication and there were no civilians on any planes and that the Muslim scum we now pursue are innocent victims.
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Why haven't you posted that before? It's awesome... |
(Some pix there, too.)
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Oh. Never mind. |
Thinking about the incredible heroics and patriotic selflessness of these people only causes me to wonder about the selflessness everyone has, if they would only put their sense of self-discipline to work...
Great post[s]!
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It helps if you understand MF and I are a tad...off center, as it were. And I'm having a Guinness especially for you. |
I'll use any excuse I can.
I had a weak Biretti tonight, last of a gift pack. Straight stuff again tomorrow, though.
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Ah...now I undertand. |
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