By Helen Klein
A light mist shrouded the skyline of Manhattan as Brooklyn’s September 11th memorial was dedicated, on Bay Ridge’s Veterans Memorial Pier. With Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz among the many in attendance, residents of southwestern Brooklyn – who had helped fund the monument – joined family members of those who had perished in the terrorist attacks on New York City, at the unveiling of the memorial, which is in the shape of a firefighter’s speaking trumpet. The monument, designed by artist Robert Ressler and entitled “Beacon,” stands as a sturdy presence at the heart of the pier. After dark, it will cast a beam of light into the night sky, within view of the Statue of Liberty, as well as the place where the World Trade Center once stood – a “living memorial,” said the artist, “where people can come and also create an oral history. At a time when we have media all around us, it’s great to have stories of people and their lives and the spirit of those we have lost.” The soaring, streamlined design, remarked Bloomberg, “Evokes the simplicity and the majesty of the twin towers. Using the image of the old firefighter’s trumpet,” he went on, “it reminds us of the importance of community during a time of crisis.” The monument was commissioned by Brooklyn Remembers, a not-for-profit group formed in the days after 9/11 to create a fitting tribute to those who lost their lives. “It’s Brooklyn remembers,” noted Congressperson Vito Fossella, one of the elected officials who spearheaded the effort, “but, in a way, the world must remember what happened on that day. “What we know to be true is that, in good times, character is rarely tested,” Fossella went on. “It’s when the bad times occur, times of adversity, that not just the individual is tested, but the strength of a society, the strength of a community, and, yes, the strength of a city. This country will never be broken. In fact, we are stronger than ever. If we can take anything away from September 11th, the so-called silver lining, it’s the notion that the American people, its resolve and its spirit, is still a beacon of hope and opportunity for people around the world.” Bloomberg paid tribute to the, “283 Brooklyn residents who were lost on September 11th, 283 human beings who had families and who had hopes for the future, and their lives were cut short by a group of people who wanted to take away the basic freedoms that this country stands for – the freedom to practice our religion, and say what we want to say, and be in control of our own destiny, and have a better life for our children and our grandchildren. Some people found that so threatening that they mounted this attack on New York, America, but really the freedom of people all over the world. “Three and a half years later,” he went on, “we still have the question that troubles our souls – why should so many innocent people, honest people, meet such a terrible end?” How can those they left behind make sense of that? “By not purely focusing,” said Bloomberg, “on those that have died, but by remembering how they lived, their bravery, their decency, their love for you and their love for the great borough of Brooklyn. We do that by remembering why they were taken from us and by renewing our determination to preserve the freedoms that they died for and to never surrender to those that attack us. I think I speak for all 8.1 million New Yorkers. We will never forget those we lost.” “Three and a half years ago, we stood here, and right behind us we could see smoke billowing into the air,” recalled State Senator Marty Golden, who, with Fossella, had helped to spearhead the memorial. “It was sad. People came. It was thousands. We cried, we held each other and we prayed. That’s what it’s about, remembering the people we have lost, the families that have suffered. Thousands came together here in Bay Ridge to help. It was unprecedented, and it brought the community closer together. It brought the city closer together. It is why we are the greatest city in the world.” The attack, said Golden, “Forever changed our way of life. The cries of fear and loss echoed here. Today, we can stand here and state, ‘We have remembered.’ Those who were lost from Brooklyn now have a permanent memorial. The terrorists sought to tear us apart. This memorial, this light that will beam into the heavens, only proves the strength of us as a people, to unite more than ever. We affirm today with our vision and with the dedication of our memorial that those who lost their lives on that morning of September 11th are worth remembering and will never, ever be forgotten.” “For those of you who lost someone dear on September 11th,” added Markowitz, when it was his turn to speak, “that emptiness can never be filled. But, I want you to know that on that day, when you cried, we cried. Your hurt was our hurt. That day, we became one family and one family we shall always be. “The aftermath of September 11th,” Markowitz added, had taught another lesson. “It taught us that the grief wrought by terrorism does not discriminate,” he told his listeners. “So, we are reminded today to stand united in our resolve to stamp out intolerance whenever and however it rears its hideous head. Because, black or white, rich or poor, Jew, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and even those who don’t know what they are, we are first and foremost residents of a great democratic nation. “And we must always remember that this is why we were targeted on that date,” Markowitz went on. “In 2005, we continue to turn this act of hate into an act of hope. The burning desire of men and women to live in freedom will never be extinguished. The rest of the world can take a page from Brooklyn, big-time, because we will never be torn apart by evil. We will continue living peacefully as one, because we know, all of us in New York City, that we are all children of the same god.” Before the ribbon was cut by dignitaries standing in front of the memorial, George Hindy, speaking for the family members of the victims, summed up the feelings of many of those who crowded onto the pier. He said that he stood there, “With a sense of sadness and gratitude – obviously, sadness because the reason that brings us together is the loss of one of our loved ones in this horrific act of terrorism, and gratitude that this memorial, the Beacon, will stand here on the pier in the very shadow of the former trade center, a lasting monument to all the wonderful individuals that were lost to us forever on that infamous day. We must never, ever forget our loved ones and the tremendous losses suffered by this community.”
