Ground Hero

It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is
because we do not dare that things are difficult. — Seneca

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too. — John F. Kennedy | September 12, 1962

This video is a tremendous tribute to the heroic nature of the Twin Towers. We are very honored that a supporter, apparently from overseas, chose to brand such a magnificent tribute with our name and content. The choice of images captures the Towers’ essence and makes it plain why nothing but new Twin Towers could ever be worthy of the bravery and sacrifice of 9/11. We defy the greatest cynic to watch this and then deny that the Twin Towers were heroic from the start in a way that the current plan could never be — just when we most need the inspiration.

The Twin Towers were heroic architecture, the epitome of a daring, confident culture. They were born of the same spark that put a man to the moon. That is why they lit countless millions of dreams in countless millions of hearts. They were incomparable buildings that needed no explaining and made no apologies. The current plan isn’t inspiring just because of an antenna reaching to 1776-feet or because George Pataki says so. It never will be. Only new Twin Towers could ever live up to the imprint they made on our world and in our hearts.

It would be hard to imagine a more perfect labor of love. The images, the music, and even the sentiments at the end are all so stirring and real. The shot of Ken Gardner holding his Twins across from Ground Zero last summer is particularly moving because of the words that follow it: “I believe in you America,” echoes the reason that Ken devoted all that he did to this effort… because he had to find out “if the America I grew up believing in really exists.”

A young man from Toronto by the name of Daniel Odette must think it does. He has sent us a number of emails lately with some novel ideas for capturing our leaders’ attention and recently he included a YouTube link to a History Channel special on the Twin Towers that appeared in January of 2001, making it the last documentary prior to the attacks. The eight five-minute segments are a terrific reminder of how incredibly awesome they were.

The Twin Towers deserve another chance and so do we. By reclaiming the Towers, we would bring out the best in our country and recapture our innate optimism. There is no sense at all in ratifying their destruction, when we can still revive their power to amaze.

Important Note: The images of “Twin Towers II” that appear in this video feature an earlier facade, which has now been updated to reflect more of the Twin Towers’ original verticality. So the shots just hint at the new Towers’ appearance. Updated images can be seen at the “Twin Towers II” site. What matters most is not what they look like, but what they say about the backbone of our nation and the healing they would bring to THE 9/11 Family.