While We Remember....Remember The Deutsche Bank Building

I couldn't help myself this morning, I turned on the TV where I was at and saw the memorial service. It was on every channel so when I tried to change it...it kept going. Hearing the names is tear-jerking, especially when the reader would finish their turn by remembering their friend, cousin, brother, etc. I tried MSNBC but was simultaneously hit twice in the face by the images of the burning towers and Katie Couric's voice. Thankfully I found Comedy Central after an hour for the "lighter" news about Bush's visit to Anbar.

Anyways, while watching the memorial, every once in a while the camera would pan out to show the fish-net covered Deutsche Bank building on Liberty Street. Six years later it still stands there, partially removed yet towering over the site as a powerful reminder.

Of course the demolition is now stopped again due to the horrific fire that killed two more of New York's Finest a few weeks ago. Apparently the agency running the site did not care enough to make sure there were any safety measures employed which led to there being no water for the firefighters that perished last month.

Now city, state and federal officials are treating the situation with kid gloves, trying to look like they are doing the right thing. Though things aren't off to the best start since federal authorities are slamming the state of New York for not doing enough even now to combat air quality problems.

I understand that the development corporations want to get everything done and finished so the new towers under way will look nice and pretty. But I really don't care. Safety comes first, no ifs ands or buts. After everything that has gone down in the last six years when it comes to air quality, the people who live and work in Lower Manhattan deserve better. What needs to be done now should have been taken care of five years ago, but it still needs to be done.