Controversy heats up over 9/11 memorial

The Business Journal of Phoenix ^ | 1:18 PM MST Wednesday | by Mike Sunnucks

[jasoncann]

Gov. Janet Napolitano Wednesday deflected continued criticism of the new state 9-11 memorial, which some say is anti-American.

Napolitano said criticism and questions regarding the privately funded memorial should be directed to the commission appointed by her and former Gov. Jane Hull to oversee the project. Napolitano is a Democrat, Hull a Republican.

The memorial was funded via private sector contributions including donations from The Arizona Republic, Bashas' Supermarkets, Bank of America and SleepAmerica.

Republican gubernatorial challenger Len Munsil and other conservatives have blasted the monument saying some of the inscriptions are anti-American and critical of U.S. counterattacks against terrorist groups and it should be torn down.

Inscriptions cited include one that points to an accidental U.S. bombing of civilians in Afghanistan and another that says, "You don't win battles of terrorism with more battles."

Munsil favors a more patriotic memorial while Scottsdale Congressman J.D. Hayworth joined the flap Wednesday saying the memorial and surrounding controversy detracts from the victims and heroes of the event.

Napolitano said she did not see the inscriptions before the memorial was unveiled earlier this month, but that she thinks it is sensitive to the attacks and tries to be educational.

Arizona 9-11 Memorial Commission members include Bank of America Arizona President Benito Almanza, Bashas' Vice Chairman Johnny Basha and Arizona Diamondbacks President Rich Dozer.

[jasoncann]

The Arizona Republican Party has released a video about this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJlhAbj63hk

[mallardx]

If I lived there I'd head over with a steel-cutting saw and remove that offensive Marxist language real quick.

[kellynch]

Ping for later.

[weegee]

This may have been paid for with private funds, but is it on public property?

It is a church for moonbats and their religion of Blame America First.

[Lucky9teen]

Napolitano said criticism and questions regarding the privately funded memorial should be directed to the commission appointed by her and former Gov. Jane Hull to oversee the project.

That POS Governor can NEVER EVER take blame for ANYTHING and it's ALWAYS someone elses responsibility or fault...she's so pathetic, I can't even put it into words (without getting banned)...

Napolitano said she did not see the inscriptions before the memorial was unveiled earlier this month, but that she thinks it is sensitive to the attacks and tries to be educational.

She's the most pathetic excuse for a human being in a policital position. Right, she did't see it...right....

Sensitive? Educational? Ha....Ok, the memorial itself is pretty cool, but most of the messages on it are VERY OBVIOUSLY politicized for the lefties to get their (propaganda) message out.

I hope they tear it down and/or take off all the messages and rebuild it so it truly honors those who died on 9/11.

[Mr. Mojo]

Inscriptions cited include one that points to an accidental U.S. bombing of civilians in Afghanistan and another that says, "You don't win battles of terrorism with more battles."

No? Then how do you do it? Dialogue? Surrender?

[ProtectOurFreedom]

... detracts from the victims and heroes of the event.

THE EVENT??!! VICTIMS??!! This was an unprovoked attack on America that followed numerous declarations of war by bin Laden and al Qaeda. It is part of the Islamic jihad against the civilized world. I am so SICK of these congresscritters calling it "An Event" not unlike a hurricane or tornado.

[300magnum]

Related thread.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1709955/posts

[Txsleuth]

This governor..and Gov. Blanco in Louisiana??

Could they be the same person??? LOL

[Hildy]

Time to start bombarding Basha's with boycott threats. Since they gave money, they share the responsibility.

[maggief]

Sponsors:

http://www.az911memorial.com/Sponsors.htm


Billy Shields, a Phoenix firefighters union leader who headed the commission, said the inscriptions were historically accurate and reflected at least some Arizonans' views. The criticism itself was tardy and troubling, he said.

"The families are having a tough time dealing with this attack on the memorial," Shields said.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0925az-memorial25-ON.html

[goalinestan]

No? Then how do you do it? Dialogue? Surrender?

I think surrender is the preferred dem position. Burka's for all...

[MonroeDNA]

I can't believe AZ firefighters would support this POS Billie Sheilds.

Ahole.

[Tarantulas]

Here's something I wrote for our local Fox TV stations blog on September 21:

The shameful Arizona 9/11 memorial

It's in Wesley Bolin Park and it was dedicated on 9/11/2006. Has anyone here seen it? It's an elevated ring with letters cut through the metal. The sun shines through the letters and projects phrases on the concrete below.

Here are some of the phrases: "07 01 02 ERRONEOUS US AIR STRIKE KILLS 46 URUZGAN CIVILIANS" referring to an event where civilans were firing into the air and US planes responded by dropping a bomb on them. It turned out that (supposedly) the civilians were part of a party celebrating a wedding.

The next phrase is "06 03 02 CONGRESS QUESTIONS WHY CIA & FBI DIDN'T PREVENT ATTACKS." This is starting to look like an advertisement for MoveOn.org.

Here's another one: "VIOLENT ACTS LEADING US TO WAR 05 07 1915, 12 07 1941, 08 04 1964 & 09 11 2001." 1915 refers to the Lusitania and 1941 is, of course, Pearl Harbor. The 1964 date refers to the "Gulf of Tonkin Incident" in which Vietnamese gunboats attacked an American destroyer. This event was the spark that resulted in the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which justified inserting US troops into the Vietnam War. On August 2, 1964, three North Vietnamese gunboats fired on the destroyer USS Maddox, and on August 4, 1964, the Maddox and another destroyer spent an exciting evening maneuvering off the coast while believing they were under attack again. The significance of August 4 is that an investigation showed that there was no attack on that day. Since it's well known today that the North Vietnamese didn't attack on August 4, why not use "08 02 1964" as the date on the memorial, a day when an actual attack took place? Lyndon Johnson's Secretary of State, Robert McNamara, testified before Congress that the Maddox was the target of an unprovoked attack on August 4, and on August 7 Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. The intimation seems to be that Lyndon Johnson went to war based on fictional information...just like MoveOn says George Bush did.

So are we paying tribute to the victims here, or throwing stones at the Bush administration?

[Tenniel]

Charming. The only place these cockroaches have the sand to use the word "attack" is in their whines against the people who see that disgraceful and disgusting "memorial" for what it is.

[mewzilla]

SHIELDS, BILLLY E.
PHOENIX, AZ 85022
GOVERNOR JANE DEE HULL/SPECIAL AS

PASTOR, EDWARD L
VIA PASTOR FOR ARIZONA
09/04/2002 250.00 22992019372

SHIELDS, BILLY E
PHOENIX, AZ 85022

GRIJALVA, RAUL M MR.
VIA A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE FOR GRIJALVA CONGRESSNL CMTE
01/11/2003 250.00 24961774442

SHIELDS, BILLY E
PHOENIX, AZ 85022
PHOENIX FIRE DEPARTMENT

DASCHLE, THOMAS ANDREW
VIA NEW LEADERSHIP FOR AMERICA PAC
03/27/2003 1000.00 23020181094

SHIELDS, BILLY E
PHOENIX, AZ 85022
PHOENIX FIRE DEPT

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS INTERESTED IN REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION PAC
03/31/1999 200.00 99034434026
03/04/2000 275.00 20035513494

SHIELDS, BILLY E MR.
PHOENIX, AZ 85020
PHOENIX FIRE DEPT./FIRE FIGHTER /

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS INTERESTED IN REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION PAC
08/28/2006 296.00 26940334860

SHIELDS, BILLY E.
PHOENIX, AZ 85022

GRIJALVA, RAUL M MR.
VIA A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE FOR GRIJALVA CONGRESSNL CMTE
01/11/2003 250.00 23990749803

SHIELDS, BILLY E.
PHOENIX, AZ 85022
PHOENIX FIRE DEPARTMENT/FIREFIGHT

CORDOVA, GEORGE ADAM
VIA COMMITTEE TO ELECT GEORGE CORDOVA TO CONGRESS
09/16/2002 250.00 22992241220

SHIELDS, BILLY E. MR.
PHOENIX, AZ 85022
PHENIX FIRE DEPARTMENT/FIREFIGHTE

GORE, AL
VIA GORE 2000 INC
11/23/1999 250.00 20990028626

SHIELDS, BILLY E. MR.
PHOENIX, AZ 85022
PHOENIX/FIREFIGHTER/EMS

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS INTERESTED IN REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION PAC
03/28/2003 248.00 23990779641

[fourmation599]

I'm sure that many of the donors would not have donated had they known in advance of the wording on the memorial. I still question why they even need a memorial in AZ. Guess it was just too easy to fleece people/corps for donations.

[itsahoot]

She's the most pathetic excuse for a human being in a policital position

Strangely she has a double digit lead in her current re-election bid.

[Lucky9teen]

So did Kerry, but it doesn't mean she will win. God Willing!!