NYT Article on WTC Memorial Design Finalists, 2003

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document Traq war. With his first campaim shot, crat-tumed-Republican. As will any governor ot Calitomia, Flayers ar puuue Clark got himself right in the root. Bloomberg has had to raise taxes and cut services. He has a school events are not ex­ This game of politics is complicated, near-fatal 57% disapproval rating. actly my cup of tea. However, if people want to From time to time, the gifted amateur Some of that is no fault of his—who likes higher taxes? — have such prayers, there is nothing in the histo­ comes along — Dwight Eisenhower, but some of it is. He has been learning how to be a politician ry of oiu- republic that suggests it is illegal for Ronald Reagan — but it is no accident on the job. It has cost him. them to do so. likened to each or look at Jesse Ventura, another relative amateur, who be- The court decisions of the past 50 years are other. They were enormously appeal- came governor of Minnesota on the basis of straight talking raw exercises in legislative power. Judges ing presences, and both had more than a smattering of politi- and a to-hell-with-politlcs persona. It turned out a big mouth don’t like prayer in schools, and therefore they cal experience — Ike as supreme commander in World War was not enough. Ventura is back in show business, which, it legislate against the practice. Since their pow­ n, Reagan as a union and anti-Communist activist. can fairly be said, he never left. er is virtually unlimited (as we saw in the theft More important, both Ike and Reagan had important con- i can appreciate the yearning for the outsider, the gifted am- of the 2000 presidential election), they can do stituencies that urged them to run—and when they did, they ateur, since too many politicians become so burdened by ex­ whatever they want. Only impeachment or a won big. No one is predicting that for Schwarzenegger — perience, they can’t say anything straight. But the tendency constitutional amendment or a change in legal and no one is predicting anything for Huffington, who, none- to see all issues as contemporary Gordian knots — one slash fashions can repeal the court’s legislation. The theless, has the backing of some very smart people. of the sword will do it — underestimates the complexity of court as a third and unelected legislature has What are these p^ple thinking? Huffington could not gov- governing. After you win, you actually have to do something. absolute power. Absolute power, as we know, em. The Democratic-controlled California Legislature is not Clark plunged into the presidential race without the foggi- corrupts absolutely. going to play ball with someone who once swooned for Newt est notion of what he thinks on a range of domestic issues. The First Amendment’s clause on religion is Gingrich and helped run the Republican senatorial campaign Schwarzenegger mutters “details, details” while reading up a delicate balancing act. It prohibits the Ameri­ of her former husband, Michael Huffington. As for on what he should already know. “The Candidate” was a dra- can government from interfering with the free Schwarzenegger, that sanlie Legislature is going to be there ma. What’s happening now is a farce. exercise of religion or establishing an official for him, too. Maybe he ca: i be persuasive, but that’s impossi- E-mail: cohenr(^ashpostcom religion, as the Church of England is estab­ lished in England.

WTC footprints will stay sacred The court decisions of the last half-century have twisted the establishment part of the clause beyond recognition and have notably in­ terfered with the free exercise of religion. The By KEVIN M. RAMPE nal vision, has now been shifted off-site, site has been reconfigured so truck justices have used clever little aiguments that thp moment Daniel I iheqkind greatly enhancing the safety of the en- ramps no longer traverse the footprints lawyers so dearly love to justify the establish­ the ft,mm «« compIcx. Underground. What remains will be the ment of unbelief as the official religion of America.

sSSBSsS SBSSSSSSs The underlying conviction that motivated these decisions back in the 1950s was that reli­ gion is realty not a good thing and should not be permitted to interfere with the ordinary D .u f t the exposed slurry wall, a meta- anniversary, some people spread false processes of American democracy. But before Libeskind ^n finish^ the p^or for the enduring strength of our de- and cruel rumors about the future use of With some exceptions, the legal theorists at presentation, many questioned whether mocracy, and on the other by a protec- the footprints, suggesting that a hot dog the elite law schools of the country who sup- > his vision could sunnve the months of gf cultural buildings. stand or the like would be located under- port the “wall of separation” and their journal- 5 refinemCTt thatJay ggt g^g j^gy respect, Libeskind’s me- neath the memorial. Let me be clear: istic supporters are agnostics or atheists. like z ^ead. Last w^k, the p>wcr Manhattan niorial setting has been improved. Nothing could be farther from the truth. any religious group, they want to establish Development Corp, and the Port ^thon- Many people feel it is essential that No matter what form the memorial their own religion, and they have done so. » ty angered that question with a re- fog memorial site demarcate and pre- takes, there will never, ever be commer- The sure sign that they are hypocrites is that soundmg yes. serve the place where the towers once cial or retail space where the towers they repeat the “wall of separation” cliche as a The Libeskind vision emerged not stood - the footprints. That’s why the once stood. We will, however, fulfill our magic formula, though they know the phrase only intact, but improved. The Fre^om lmDC made recognition of the foot- solemn obligation to create a memorial is not a direct quote from the Constitution but S Tower remains the tallest building in the prints a fundamental requirement in the that will make our entire nation proud. rather words Thomas Jefferson permed in a let- g. world, located in the place libeskind des- guidelines for the memorial competition As we continue to rebuild from 9/11, ter. It has become the approved mantra for pre- ignated, only now it is accompanied by now underway. This fall, an inde^ndent it’s important to preserve the spirit of venting freedom of school choice for poor par-. an expanded site for a performing arts jury will choose a winning memorial de- unity so much on display in the after­ ents. Almost all the members of the Senate ex- 'S center. sign from among 5,200 submissions math of the attacks. Many assumed that ercise such freedom of choice because they § The spiraling configuration of build- from 62 nations. once the recovery ended and the last em- can afford to pay tuition for elite private g ings, evocative of the Statue of Liberty, At the direction of Gov. Pataki, plan- bers faded, so, too, would that spirit of schools. But the poor people of the District of remains as well, only with less square ners went to great lengths to leave the unity. Columbia are denied such freedom because it w footage to allow for more sunlight and footprints in the Libeskind design free of It did not. It has not. And it never will. would violate the “wall of separation.” 'm open space. Truck security screening, lo- all but the most essential infrastructure. Rampe is president of the Lower Manhat- 'What an exercise of phony piety. § cated within the site in Libeskind’s origi- To do so, the entire substructure of the tan Development Corp. E-mail: [email protected] “

I NYC-WTC_000142924