On September 11, 2001 we experienced an attack on the very fiber of our society when those planes struck the World Trade Center Towers killing many including 343 of our fellow firefighters. After this attack three members of the FDNY took an American flag from a nearby boat and hung it in honor of those who were killed by the religious zealots under the direction of Osama Bin Laden. 

While hanging this flag photographer Tom Franklin of the Record of Bergen County N.J. took a picture of this and to many of us the symbolism reminded us of the famous raising of the flag by the marines at Iwo Jima. But now the liberal do-gooders and politicians wish us to remember this moment in time differently with their arcane views and revisionist theory, basically they want to rewrite history.

A bronze statue is being commissioned by the owner ForestCity Ratner (developer of real estate and owners of the WTC) of FDNY firefighters Daniel McWilliams, George Johnson, and Billy Eisengrein. The statue will depict a white, an African American, and a Hispanic firefighter raising the flag based on an actual event and real life counterparts. But should race play a role in honoring those who died on that day? Could all races be served by depicting the firefighters as they were in the photo? 

 In my personal opinion a statue based upon an actual event should portray the event as it actually happened with the image of the characters left intact. If not, do as they did at the Vietnam memorial with fictional figures that represented all races that fought in that conflict. This would be the equivalent of putting Rosie the Riveter as one of the figures raising the flag at Iwo Jima, Rosie had just as much to do with the victory over Japan as did the marine who raised the flag.

I feel that the New York City politicians, the owner of ForestCityRatner, the administration of the FDNY, the artist, and the foundry just do not get it. It is not about race, it’s about being a firefighter, first and foremost. No matter what color, creed or sex, it’s all about fighting fires and saving lives. It’s about the firefighters who died on that day of horror trying to combat the fire and rescuing people inside the towers. It’s about the right of those three firefighters whose images are portrayed in the picture. Its about the right of the photographer and 

The Record who owns the picture to have control over the images that are depicted, and how this image is to be portrayed in history. This picture has appeared in print as well as other types of media worldwide. Would it made any difference if it were three black firefighters who raised that flag? No. 

Would it made any difference if three females would have raised that flag? No. Then why the difference now? Oh that’s right, we must be sensitive to everyone’s feelings nowadays. The truth is that some will like the end result, and some will not. You cannot have it both ways. 

All politicians and liberals, listen up! When we are fighting fire and are in full protective gear (including SCBA mask), most times we don’t know who’s next to us. Most of the time we cannot tell whether they are black, white, Hispanic, male, female, just as long as they are there to assist in fighting fire and saving lives, that’s all that matters. The family who wakes up at 7 am in the morning to find grandma not breathing and dials 911, does it really matter what color the firefighters are who show up to do CPR on the deceased? 

When the box is struck for a reported structure fire and we race to the scene, does it really matter what race the family is whose house is burning down or what color the business owner is? The way I look at the fire service is your firefighter first no matter what color you are. 

A couple of years ago the “Enola Gay” was finishing being restored by the Smithsonian and ready for display when a controversy started. The Enola Gay was the B-29 “Super fortress” that was flown by Col. Paul Tibbets to Hiroshima and dropped the first ever Atomic bomb. The question arose about how the plane as an exhibit be displayed? Should the plane be a displayed to make the veterans “feel good,” or should the display make us realize the consequences of war? 

In some ways the revisionist attitude that was present with trying to rewrite the history of the Enola Gay and her mission is present with the construction of this statue. I have taken issues brought up with the Enola Gay controversy and have re-written them according to the statue controversy. 

• Should this statute make firefighters and survivors feel good or make visitors realize the consequences of the firefighters actions that occurred on that day?
• Should the statues function be to memorialize or to educate?
• Should history record the past (inform) or mold the future (heroify)?
• Should the flag raising be looked upon from the perspective of the past or the perspective of the future?
• Should history be patriotic or polemical?
• Should the statue be politically correct or historically accurate?

If this statue is to represent a diverse group of people who perished on that day shouldn’t a female firefighter be one of the figures? How about a homosexual firefighter as being one of those to have raised the flag? How about a firefighter in a wheel chair to represent the handicapped or disabled who perished at the WTC?

You know, sometimes being politically correct is not the answer to the problem and the re-writing of history never is. If these people want to memorialize the moment then make it factual or use a fictional based design to represent the different races involved in this tragedy.

To write your disapproval to this statue, contact ForestCityRatner by email at info@fcrc.com and let them know how you feel. 

To learn more about the controversy surrounding the “Enola Gay” and the final decision on how the lane should be displayed, go to: Enola Gay. 

Note: The following comments are those of Thomas Cunningham and not the views of withthecommand.com.