NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration said Friday that it is exploring whether the federal government can take control of the 9/11 memorial and museum in New York City.

The site in lower Manhattan, where the World Trade Center’s twin towers were destroyed by hijacked jetliners on Sept. 11, 2001, features two memorial pools ringed by waterfalls and parapets with the names of the dead, and an underground museum. Since opening to the public in 2014, the memorial plaza and museum have been run by a public charity, now chaired by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a frequent Trump critic.

The White House confirmed the administration has had “preliminary exploratory discussions” about the idea, but declined to elaborate. The office noted the Republican pledged during his campaign last year to make the site a national monument, protected and maintained by the federal government.

But officials at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum say the federal government, under current laws, can’t unilaterally take over the site, which is located on land owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

  • 3abas@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    1 day ago

    If you are with the first part, you’d agree with the implied second part: it should be a simple memorial and should focus on the victims not on empire propaganda. This is what the museum has to say:

    The terrorists did not have the capacity to destroy the United States militarily, so they set their sights on symbolic targets instead. The Twin Towers, as the centerpieces of the World Trade Center, symbolized globalization and America’s economic power and prosperity.

    The Pentagon, as the headquarters for the U.S. Department of Defense, serves as a symbol of American military power. It is thought that Flight 93 was headed to the Capitol building, the center of American legislative government.

    Al-Qaeda hoped that, by attacking these symbols of American power, they would promote widespread fear throughout the country and severely weaken the United States’ standing in the world community, ultimately supporting their political and religious goals in the Middle East and Muslim world.

    That’s a very disgusting right wing take that ignores the actual motivations for the attacks, and denies the visitors the chance to reflect on what their country continues to support: worldwide terror.

    It’s not worth saving in its current state.

      • 3abas@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        1 day ago

        Jesus Christ.

        It’s already on his side, it’s already “islamists hate us because of our freedom” level, no I don’t think it’ll get worse… What do you think he’ll do to it?