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be a target yet a third time. But the desire to foster an

image of invincibility to' the rest of the world sometimes

leads th~ U:S., to 'overlook the big picture. Yet, rebuilding

at Ground,Zero s'ti Ll, hasn't been completed; in fact it's

hardly been'scarted at all, a whole seven years later. So

much ieID:ainsunresolved, with no significant change on the

60rizqn.' No sense of ci~sure' for the victims, and no specific

place to come pay their respects. Not to mention a 'future of

,unsightly construction and disruption of everyday life for

the locals. Many unfulfilled promises and big dreams for a

nation eager to prove its 'resiliency. '

, After the horror of September II, a memorial to the

,victims and a tribute tO,the survivors was supposed to

meet the nation's needs, but which needs are those? Does

that, include the people who lost their homes that day?

Unfo~tunately all types of needs exist, and meeting them all

at once will inevitably be hard. But for those that lost

something close to their hearts, be it a beloved person or

home, they feel the deepest significance'. For the community,

the memoriar process isn't just about people, but the

buildings themselves. That may be hard for outsiders to

understand, but ·the World Trade Center complex, the towers

especially, ,were a formidable yet comforting presence in the

ne±ghborhood. 'Seeing 'them fall so quickly~was heartbreaking,

when they were somet6ing you saw every day, it was like

watching a death. The locals understand the national

significance of this part' of the city. Tourists come for a

day, loved ones make special trips to mourn and remember.

But the-neighbors live here'year round. Like everyone else,

they will never forget that day. But at the same time,

downtown New Yorkers must go' on with their lives whether or

not the, rest of the world recognizes their loss.

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