By Erin Johnson
September 11 brought the nation together in a way unprecedented in any era in history. American flags dotted towns, patriotic songs rang throughout schools and church halls, and for the first time in a long while there was a feeling of unity.
Now, however, many people are needlessly dividing the country again over, of all things, how to commemorate that unity.
The controversy stems from a monument being built to honor the men and women who sacrificed their lives to save others.
Many people feel that the three men hoisting the flag in the monument should be representative of three different races - black, white and Hispanic. Others, however, feel that the monument should accurately depict the scene that was originally taken from a photograph.
Instead of fighting over discrimination or accuracy, what people need to consider is why they are building a statue in the first place. If the purpose of the monument is to recreate a scene from that infamous day, then yes, the monument should be an exact replica of the photo. In that case, why not just make a poster size copy of the picture and hang it outside the Fire Station? That is not the point of the monument.
The purpose of the monument is to commemorate the unity of a challenged nation. It is meant to serve as a reminder of how Americans of all races came together to rebuild a fallen city and to comfort those who grieved.
This monument is a symbol, not a representation. What better way to symbolize the immense unity of America than by showing men of different backgrounds and different skin colors raising the symbol of a nation that belongs to each of them? Three white men, though historically accurate, do not stir the same emotions and image of Americans crossing racial, economic and educational boundaries to come to each other''s assistance.
Many critics of the race change of the statue argue that of the 343 firefighters who died on Sept. 11 only about a dozen each were Hispanic or black. While true, these numbers do not reflect the thousands of Americans across the nation who gave time, money, blood and prayers to the victims of the attacks. The number of people who sacrificed to help during that crucial time cannot be calculated or reflected in statistics.
The bottom line is that including the addition of these different races does not negate the credibility of the statue as a historical work of art. Moreover, leaving the men white does not warrant a cry of racism. The reason for changing the races is simply to better symbolize the way the nation pulled together people of all walks of life for one cause - for the cause of America.
Terrorists could not divide us, why now will we insist on fragmenting ourselves?