Posted on 01/23/2002 12:55:02 PM PST by Jeff Head
The petition addressed to the New York City Government and to the Fire Department Administrators of New York City has surpassed 75,000 signatures since it was first posted on the internet on January 15th, a little over a week ago. The petition protests the proposed WTC Flag Raising memorial staute which changed the ethnicity of the fireifghters who actually raised the flag and used "pristine" models to poprtray the firefighters rather than depicting them in the exhausted, grimey and actual state they were in.
After a few short days of circulation, and in concert with a petition circulating within the New York Fire Department itself, and in concert with the tremendous outpouring of protest by email, by phone, by mail and by talk radio, the City of New York announced that it would scrap the proposed "altered" statue and "investigate" other options.
Many have asked why the petition then continues.
The answer is simple and straight forward. Item two of the petition calls for the City of New York and the Fire Department to scrap ANY politically correct or potentially "culturally diverse" memorial that does not reflect accurately what happened that day. Until a concrete plan is proposed that achieves this end, the petition will continue.
In addition, more and more people are now calling on the city to include the flag raising as it actually occurred as the memorial. The people, of all walks of life and across the spectrum of political affiliation, are upset that the flag would be considered as acceptable if it was altered, but somehow may not be acceptable if it is accurate. Such blatant politicising of this event has touched a raw nerve with the American people.
We are a diverse people, but in America we are also supposed to be a united people. That flag, that those three firemen raised, represents everyone of us. The planners needed look no further than the flag itself to see all races, sexes and cultures represented that come together to make us all Americans.
Now that there is "talk" and "press releases" of the these political and administrative planners bowing to the pressure and not creating such a depiction of the statue, I say BRAVO to all involved that we have perhaps helped influence them towards a correct decision. It is a shame that such pressure had to be brought to bear, but sadly, a reality of today's world and something that should not be forgotten.
But, until a final decision is reached and it is clear that they do not intend to attempt to revise history, I believe we should keep up the pressure. So, please continue to email, tell and point others to the petition.
LET US BURY ANY NOTION OF REVISIONISM OR "POLITICAL CORRECTNESS" ASSOCIATED WITH THE EVENTS OF 911!
Several are looking at the possibility of actually delivering the names on the petition, bound into books, to the City of New York when the petition reaches 100,000 signatures and again when it reaches 250,000, 500,000 and one million, should it go that far.
I belief it should go that far and hope that it does in any case. A clear, unequivocal message MUST be sent that the days of "political correctness" and "diverse" agendas is done. We are Americans, from different cultures and ethnicities it is true, but united as Americans under our flag, under our Constitution and with our liberty.
My next milestone and goal is the 100K mark, and I hope we reach that by the end of the weekend.
BUMP
Ragged Old Flag
by: Johnnie Cash
He said, "Have a seat", and I sat down.
"Is this the first time you've been to our little town?"
I said, "I think it is." He said, "I don't like to brag,
But we're kinda proud of that Ragged Old Flag."
"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
And it got powder-burned the night Francis Scott Key
Sat watching it writing _Oh Say Can You See_.
And it got a bad rip in New Orleans
With Packingham and Jackson tuggin' at its seams."
"And it almost fell at the Alamo"
Beside the Texas flag, but she waved on through.
She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard, and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on that Ragged Old Flag."
"On Flanders Field in World War I
She got a big hole from a Bertha gun.
She turned blood red in World War II
She hung limp and low by the time it was through.
She was in Korea and Vietnam.
She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam."
"She waved from our ships upon the briny foam,
And now they've about quit waving her back here at home.
In her own good land she's been abused --
She's been burned, dishonored, denied and refused."
"And the government for which she stands
Is scandalized throughout the land.
And she's getting threadbare and wearing thin,
But she's in good shape for the shape she's in.
Cause she's been through the fire before
And I believe she can take a whole lot more."
"So we raise her up every morning, Take her down every night.
We don't let her touch the ground And we fold her up right.
On second thought I DO like to brag,
'Cause I'm mighty proud of that Ragged Old Flag."
FGS
here's another great quote from the petition:
As if the events weren't painful enough....As the mother of a bi-racial child, I find it disgusting that some people are using this venue to evoke "political correctness". I personally lost around 300 friends/family on that day and I could care less who put the flag up...as long as it was erected to show Bin Laden, the Taliban and the Al Qaida that America WILL PREVAIL. At a time when we need to come together, this is the one thing that will cause us to tear apart. We cannot change history to appease a few...if we could, don't you think we would bring back the 6,000 lives that were lost!That's from signator 77,959. Now at: 77,980
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