A Nation Rising Against Terrorism - 2002-08-12

It is August 10, 2002. Tomorrow marks eleven full months since the terrorist attacks on the cities of New York and Washington. I have come to New York for a vacation and to see the empty site of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center; after an hour of wandering, I finally manage to park my car in a corner of a beautiful tree-lined street facing the United Nations. I step out and lean against the railing of a small bridge to my right. The Hudson River flows through New York City, and in the distance, I can see the famous Statue of Liberty, a well-shaped woman, embracing the horizon. I look at the Statue of Liberty, at the thin garment draped over her, and I wonder how the terrorists thought that by crashing two planes full of innocent people into the tall and magnificent buildings of the World Trade Center, they could take freedom away from the people of this land? Freedom and democracy? I am lost in thought about the Statue of Liberty when I notice that in the small park to the right of the street, there is another gathering. I listen closely and find out that the day after tomorrow, a dance program is set to be performed there for the people. I feel compelled to share with you the unity of this city and its people in the psychological reconstruction of this community. The vibrancy that can be seen everywhere; in the hustle and bustle and grandeur of Fifth Avenue, which is famous worldwide, from the beautiful entrances and hallways of the Plaza Hotel located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and the southern part of Central Park, to the beautiful horse-drawn carriage that reminds one of stories from past centuries, with the driver waiting to take passengers through the busy streets and between cars. From the beautiful underground corridors of the Grand Central Station in the middle of Manhattan, to the small bridge across the street from the United Nations, where one can see both the blue water and the UN building, and finally from the hundreds of small and large concerts on Broadway to those held in parks or the underground corridors of the New York subway that draw people to watch. It is impossible to convey all this diversity in just a few reports, but I will try to show you the beautiful and perhaps sad sights of this city in the next seven days. I remember the excitement of the dance program planned in the park by the street and want to see what is happening in the neighborhood park the day after tomorrow and what the efforts of these people are after the terrorist attacks? And for what purpose? The day after tomorrow, we will go together to the first of these: to the 'Dance in the Streets' in the beautiful park to the right of the street.