WTC.rebuild

> PROPOSALS FOR THE REBUILDING OF THE WTC

> I think we should rebuild the World Trade Center as a combination of Centers, dedicated individually to all the means by which the world interacts-- more of a Center For World Understanding. Kind of like the UN wanted to be, but can't because it only addresses one aspect, the political, of how our nations must communicate and understand each other. So the Rebuilding should include a new world trade center, but this time a true home to delegates who discuss issues of world trade, not just a big office building with that name. And not just trade, but also a world cultural and historical center, to preserve and share the histories and cultures of every nation; All the nations of the world could contribute to it, and benefit from it. There should also be a world center for science and medicine, to share research and ideas; a world religious center, for the world's theologians to gather and discuss their views, a world communication center to share and study languages and means of encoding and transferring/transmitting information , and a world disaster prevention and relief aid center to minimize the suffering disasters both natural and man-made accross the globe. I think that to do otherwise would not be sufficient memorial to those who died or were hurt by the destruction of the Twin Towers.

> I believe that the world trade center should have a building or buildings to replace it for two reasons. One, to prove to any potential terrorists that we will not be cowed by terrorist attacks against us, and two, more significantly and appropriately, to prove to them and to the world that we are not the infidel colonialist ogre who the islamic radicals so vehemently despise. We must make of it a signal of our intentions as a member of the world community-- which I hope is to act in an attitude of cooperation and with respect to other nations. The rebuilding should be a symbol to the rest of the world that we actually do care what they think of us, that we are committed to a future of mutual cooperation between nations, and that we want to help every nation raise the standard of living for all their inhabitants. We need to create a reminder to the world and ourselves that we are the good guys, or that at least we're trying to be. Even if it's only a symbol.

> Hopefully it will be a symbol for us too, to remind us that we must be more thoughtful in our foreign policy and the reasons behind those policies -- such as our dependence on the fossil fuels so abundant in the Middle East. Sure we can and we will crush our enemies, but every part of the world is just as vulnerable to terrorist attack as every other part, and getting more so rather than less. So we can do two things in the prevention of further attacks like the world trade center-- we can try to prevent the occurrence and we can try to prevent the cause. While I am in favor of increased security for public transportation, to actually prevent any and all terrorist occurrences everywhere would be impossible, though even to try would require much more surveillance and other inroads on our civil rights than currently, and again would be no guarantee. But I believe it is possible to prevent the causes of terrorism, but to do so we must in this case begin by addressing their claim that we are godless capitalists who care for nothing except money.

> We can do this by making what was once the World Trade Center, a place where not only money, but all aspects of human endeavor, from the cultural to the sacred, the scientific to the financial, sacred to the all nations, religions, viewpoints, knowledge, and solutions can meet with respect for each other.

Participant Comments follow below

05/06/04 12:53:53 GMT