Firefighters Win Battle Over Ground Zero Statue

NewsMax ^ | 01/17/2002 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[Pokey78]

In a press release issued late Thursday, New York City Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scopetta announced that the New York City Fire Department will drop plans for a politically correct version of the famous photo "Flag Raising at Ground Zero."

"New York City Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scopetta today announced that he will consider new options for a fitting memorial to honor the members of the fire department who died and those who worked tirelessly at the World Trade Center following the Sept. 11 attacks.

"Bruce Ratner, president and CEO of Forrest City Ratner & Co., said he will continue to underwrite the cost of the memorial."

More....

[livius]

Agreed! The point here was not that Freepers (or anyone else) was against including black firefighters in a monument. But not THAT monument, or at any rate, not if it was meant to be a reproduction of that famous photo.

The point was simply that you can't take history and rewrite it. And I think this would have been the same, and Freepers would have felt the same, had all of the firefighters who raised the flag been black - and somebody came along wanting to insert whites and Asians into the statue!

By all means, let's have a multiracial monument at FD headquarters; and let's certainly have one at Ground Zero, listing all of the rescue personnel (including the paramedics and Port Authority people). But the photo is what it is: history. And once you start "changing" history, you're rolling down a really, really slippery slope.

[livius]

Agreed! The point here was not that Freepers (or anyone else) was against including black firefighters in a monument. But not THAT monument, or at any rate, not if it was meant to be a reproduction of that famous photo.

The point was simply that you can't take history and rewrite it. And I think this would have been the same, and Freepers would have felt the same, had all of the firefighters who raised the flag been black - and somebody came along wanting to insert whites and Asians into the statue!

By all means, let's have a multiracial monument at FD headquarters; and let's certainly have one at Ground Zero, listing all of the rescue personnel (including the paramedics and Port Authority people). But the photo is what it is: history. And once you start "changing" history, you're rolling down a really, really slippery slope.

[Snow Bunny]

Thank you for the ping to such good news Meekie.

[onyx]

Color me thrilled!

BUMP for Truth and Accuracy!

[Timesink]

"New York City Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scopetta today announced that he will consider new options for a fitting memorial to honor the members of the fire department who died..."

The New Memorial:

[ABUTOM]

MESSAGE FOR THE MORAN BOYS. PLEASE "GOD DON'T BLESS AND DON'T KEEP YOU MOTHER HILLARY." I TUNED IN TO THE SHOW LATE ALL I CAUGHT WAS "MY NAME IS MICHAEL MORAN AND THIS IS MY FACE AND I LIVE IN ROCKAWAY, NEW YORK AND YOU CAN KISS MY ROYAL IRISH ASS" AND THE CROWD WENT WILD I THOUGHT HE WAS TALKING TO HILLARY. VISIT WWW.SPIRITOFAMERICAPARTY.COM CLICK ON "MUSIC TO MY EARS" -MORAN'S I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. ABUTOM@AOL.COM THERE IS WORK TO BE DONE AND BATTLES TO BE WON. ONWARD O'DONNELL THEN FIGHT THE OLD FIGHT AGAIN.

[CyberCowboy777]

They can consider themselves FREEPED! YESSSS!

What an impact we can make.

[Musket]

Don't get too happy. I'm sure this RATner fellow will find another way to stick it to us 'cause he is after all- like his sister- a RAT!

[homeschool mama]

Fantastic news!!!

[CyberCowboy777]

Sorry off subject.

Is there a Car decal or sticker of the Freerepublic logo? I saw the logo on a truck in my area (Vancouver WA) and wondered...."IS THAT A FREEPER?"

[demkicker]

PUT THAT IN YOU EFFING PC PIPE AND SMOKE IT! TAKE A BIG HIT.

[Bikers4Bush]

This is awesome!

[Mr. Wright]

See what can be accomplished when we all stick together! Imagine, just imagine, how many liberals we have pissed off!

[stryker]

I hope we get a genuine sculpture of the real picture and then maybe something else too. But that picture says it all, no matter what race you are: three undefeated firefighters raising old glory amidst the ashes of defeat but upon the atoll of a certain future victory. It is Washington at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777 and 1778 raising daily the first banner of a circle of 13 stars amidst starvation, death and disease;it is Chamberlain on Little Round Top under the Union banner defending charge after charge of the Confederate best until with no ammunition left his beleagered men charged down Roundtop bayonettes affixed and held the day; it is Doolittle's Raiders bombing Tokyo without enough fuel to return to their carriers; it is Martin Luther King standing at the mountain top, full of hope and determination, only hours before he would be assassinated; it is, in short, the American Spirit captured in a moment.

[KY Dittohead]

"So what we can raise funds for our own statue of the three real guys. There must be a freeper who owns land somewhere that would allow it."

Why can't we freepers have someone in charge of getting permission from the owners of the photo, then we raise the money, have it made accurately and donate the statue to the fire dept. company the three men were from, then they can decide where to have it put.

[diotima]

Yes I think we have a Tri-State chapter that includes NY. I know we have many freepers in NYC (my brother, for one) although not a formal chapter.

This is a great idea ANV, let me see if I can contact from NYC people.

AND...if anyone interested in starting a NYC chapter please contact me ASAP!

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

The people have spoken. Changing the statue to something other than what really happened is a really stupid idea.

[A Navy Vet]

You have Freepmail.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

I am in... lets do it.

[Wphile]

Major dittos. This is great news. Political correctness and revisionism thrown out the window! It's about time.