This video from wimvandenberghe features a scene from the movie "God on Trial," in which Jewish Auschwitz prisoners discuss God's breaking of his covenant with the Jewish people. It's a powerful scene which clarifies God's abuse of Jews.
And here is the clip of the video, I am not embedding it because it doesn't really have anything to do with this entry, except to explain my train of thought. It is still worth the watch.
I was then reminded of an entry a friend made on his blog, The Foley Loaded, where, while visiting Germany he saw The Dachau Nazi concentration camp. I remember being touched by this entry.
From there, for whatever reason, I wondered what's going on with the former site of the World Trade Centre. (Side Note: Because my mind went from concentration camps to 9/11 does not in any way mean I equate the events of September 11 with the Nazi Holocaust - Six million lives lost in agony versus three thousand lives lost does not compare.) After all it has been more than eight years, surely there must be some plans for it? I remember right after September 11, 2001 there was all this rhetoric flying around from much of America saying they were going to rebuild as quickly as possible, they would construct something even bigger as a sign to the terrorists and the world that America will endure and that they will not be cowed by these "cowards".
So I searched the Internet for "Plans for Ground Zero New York" to see if there is an agenda and if so what it is. I clicked on the first non-sponsored search result returned by Google which led me here. Briefly, it outlines some proposed plans followed by loss of investors and insurance money followed by delays followed by more delays and then followed by even more delays.
Then I looked up at Google's sponsored link which said "Ground Zero & Statue Tour". I read it again and the words had not changed. Ground Zero had become a tourist attraction! And for a reason I can't explain, I felt dirty and cheap. So I asked myself why was it that I was bothered by the former site of The World Trade Center being a tourist attraction but when I thought of the Concentration camps of Nazi Germany being the same, my reaction was different?
Was it because 9/11 happened in my lifetime? And I could remember where I was when I found out about the planes crashing in to the towers?
Was it because I had seen the footage of the towers crumbling down over and over and over again?
Was it because this now tourist attraction had led to two wars in two countries?
Was it because I had lost someone in the attacks?
Was it because when I had seen current footage of concentration camps, they had not been not a pile of rumble?
Was it because in my mind, concentration camps were not in the middle of a once devasted city serving as constant reminder to everyone one of its citizens of the most tragic day in recent American history?
Was it simply that I had never been personally affected the Holocaust even though it happened on a grander scale?
Perhaps it's a combination of some or all of the above... I just don't know.
---Update---
You know what I think it is? I think it's because nothing has happened at Ground Zero. I think it's because it's like still like looking at a fresh open wound. If a memorial had been placed or something, I believe it would be a little easier to me to bear. I find there's a certain morbidity looking at it the way it is. The concentration camps have been sanitised and probably no longer smell of decay and loosed bowls and urine while where is the Twin Towers resided, there is nothing but a gaping hole in the ground.
5 comments:
Nice to see you posting again albeit on a bit of a downer. Hope all is good with you.
BTW, not to add to the downer tone of the post...have you been over to First Sounds lately? Unfortunately, Derry's story has sadly come to an end.
Thanks Al.
I know you're super busy being a dad and whatnot, but do you think you'll get back to blogging? Enjoyed reading your stuff, and Nhi's for that matter... wonder what she's up to?
I was shocked to hear about Derry. I kept meaning to go back to his blog but never did. Didn't know him personally, but you could tell he was one hell of a guy. Wish his friends and family well.
In the case of the holocaust concentration camp I think it is made open to the public to atone for their own past. That is not quite the same as an attack of terror on ones home soil.
I can recall being moved by a museum in Southern Australia which dedicated an exhibit to the inhumane treatment and the taking of land of the aboriginal people. The exhibit was named "Our Grief".
People take more comfort in knowing that we can recognise our most terrible mistakes - we are not infallible. For example, the 'Truth and Reconciliation Commission' in South Africa.
To me, taking a tour of ground zero has about as much appeal as touring a museum of drunk driving car wrecks where innocent people died... not that that should not be recognised, just that it should not be a gimmick or photo-op.
Excellent points, Foley. Nailed it! Your comments ring truer for me than my own conclusion in the entry. As this entry was inspired by my facebook status, (Subliminal Message: Dairy Milk) I hope it's okay that I copy and paste your entry my status comments.
I'm going back to my original conclusion - Nothing has been built at ground zero - because I thought of the Memorials at Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
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