In 2010, plans for a mosque in New York City were proposed. The location- an old Burlington Coat Factory which was destroyed on September 11- is located two blocks away from Ground Zero. The Mosque is not the only building proposed to go up. A Greek Orthodox Church, which was also destroyed in the attacks, is requesting permission to rebuild. I don’t think we should be focusing our finances and efforts on approving plans and building new buildings. We should spend our money on building memorials to commemorate the ones who lost lives in the attack and in the rescue attempt.

New York is a little behind on the rebuilding process on the World Trade Center construction and memorial. They should most definitely not be approving or considering plans for new buildings until the memorial has been completed or is close to completion. Honors for the victims and the heroes should be at the top of their priority list.

There were many people who helped out on that tragic day and the days to follow. We as American citizens need to celebrate the people who faced that struggle; who did whatever they could to try and hold off the attack; who searched for and saved people. We need to unite together and commemorate those people. And a perfect way to do such is by building memorials and statues. That is what we should be spending our money on. Not new buildings that have nothing to do with that day or those people.

Amanda Cornett