D-Day + 23,741

President Obama gave a speech on the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings reminding us: “At an hour of maximum danger, amid the bleakest of circumstances, men who thought themselves ordinary found it within themselves to do the extraordinary.”

The only way to honor all of the valiant sacrifice of the past is for us to be extraordinary citizens today. Bin Laden’s thugs did not victimize almost 3,000 men, women and children on 9/11/2001. That was never in their power to do. Those who were murdered that day — both the heroic rescuers and the innocent civilians — weren’t victims, they were martyrs.

The real victims of 9/11 are the American people, who have been kept in the dark about so much that is done in our name. The challenges stemming from 9/11 are in every case a struggle between idealism and cynicism. One of the struggles, to build new Twin Towers beside a fitting memorial, has always had much less to do with buildings than with principle.

The American people have an enormous emotional and financial investment in the future of the World Trade Center. As we await the findings on June 11th of the secret WTC Summit meetings, it is clear that officials would rather ignore a plan that has tremendous support and could resolve every one of the current problems at the site, than admit that mistakes were made and correct them.

They are trying to equate mere activity with real progress. If they would only look into Twin Towers II, they would find, even now, a win-win that would transform the entire complex from a national disgrace into a inspiring living memorial. We can’t afford to make the mistakes of the past permanent, especially now, when the best possible future is still within our grasp. Because what rises at Ground Zero will be our collective triumph or our lasting shame.

Over 90% in a recent MSNBC poll want to see Twin Towers II replace the funereal “Freedom Tower” complex. What is particularly disturbing is the media role in preventing the public from hearing about how much more fiscally responsible and architecturally elegant the alternative plan is, as if it is their place to prevent the facts from being considered.

Officials say we can’t go “backwards” — but restoring the most famous skyline in the world with stunning, re-engineered Twin Towers beside a noble, inspiring, memorial would hardly take us in the wrong direction. And it is misleading to warn about the waste that would result from changing course, when the transition would actually save billions of dollars and put us years ahead of their own timetable.

The truth is that we can’t afford to continue on the current course — and the Towers are just one aspect of a pernicious problem. From the extravagant, dysfunctional memorial, to the horrifying abandonment of human remains in a city dump, to the callous way 9/11 first responders have been slighted, we are defining what kind of people we are by the way we deal with the ongoing fallout from 9/11.

These are all the result of giving the public half-truths and preventing a healthy national dialogue — because if the people had all the facts, they would not stand for any of it. Last week’s amicus brief to the Supreme Court from the United States Solicitor General effectively extending immunity to the Saudi princes who financed Al Qaeda is indefensible. Hopefully, the blogs and talk shows — left and right — are examining what is taking place, because what kind of future can we look forward to if we capitulate on something so fundamental?

These are all aspects of the same dilemma. Mischaracterizing it as a narrow issue, instead of a matter for the American Family to focus on and solve, is an effort to maintain control over us. A united body politic, one that may often disagree, but listens respectfully and finds common ground, is the last thing the ruling class wants to encourage, because it would give us too much power. Their success depends upon dividing and conquering the electorate.

The politicians have avoided discussing the issues, because they know that their case is weak, but it is the media that is ultimately sabotaging the truth with their caricatures of looney rebuilders, greedy, unreasonable 9/11 family members, and shiftless first responders.

It’s time to reject their monopoly on our speech. The bedrock of America is a refusal to accept the unacceptable — and we all know what is unacceptable when we see it. If we unite they are out-numbered. That’s what they’re afraid of.