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American Morning
Families of 9/11 Victims Protest Ground Zero Construction
Aired September 03, 2003 - 08:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, ANCHOR: Soledad, today a group of family members of World Trade Center victims will block an entrance to Ground Zero. The southwest corner, in fact, to protest the rebuilding and the memorial process. They feel so strongly about it they're willing to go to jail.
Beverly Eckert lost her husband back on 9/11 almost two years ago. She'll be among the protesters today.
Thanks for joining us today.
BEVERLY ECKERT, HUSBAND DIED ON 9/11: Good morning.
HEMMER: What's the intent of today's protest?
ECKERT: A couple of things. We want to alert America to what exactly is happening at Ground Zero. I think maybe there's a misunderstanding throughout the country that this site is going to be preserved and protected as part of our national heritage.
And what they may not understand is that there's a lot of construction going on, and actually most of the site is being effectively obliterated.
The other thing we want to do is to remind Governor Pataki of his promise in June of 2002 when he said, "We will never build where the towers stood."
HEMMER: Take me down to Ground Zero and that 16-acre area. Are you saying that the area where the towers stood, the footprints of the tower we often refer to, there are plans right now to build on those locations?
ECKERT: There's actually structures on those footprints, both of them, right now. The Pat Station (ph) infringes on both the north and the south towers. And you know, we understand that there's a need to re-establish transportation routes that were disrupted on 9/11. But we also know that they've actually expanded the path to accommodate more trains. So it's like they're taking advantage of the situation.
HEMMER: Sure. Help me understand. What would be satisfactory to you?
ECKERT: The footprints down to bedrock should be preserved. That is sacred ground. That ground has been consecrated...
HEMMER: When you say bedrock you're meaning the seven stories below the street level?
ECKERT: Seven stories below. What the designs now call for is that some of the space will be preserved for the memorial but it will start 30 feet above bedrock. And that just, you know, to ignore the essential, what the bedrock really represents, is, to us, disrespectful.
HEMMER: You're saying build the memorial first, but you're not saying that our opposed to any form of construction in that area. Is that accurate?
ECKERT: No, no. What we want is the memorial to be the centerpiece. It should be the preeminent reference point there, and everything else that's built around it should harmonize with the memorial.
But the process has been backwards. And all of these other competing interests have been given equal balance with the memorial. And we don't think that that's correct. We think the memorial should be the most important feature there and everything else is secondary.
HEMMER: You lost your husband, Sean Rooney, that day, almost two years ago. It's fascinating to me to see the contrast and the reaction of families of the victims like yourself.
Virginia Bower (ph) is quoted in an Associated Press piece this week. Her husband was also killed in the attack. She says many families appreciate the input they've been allowed to give toward the memorial and reconstruction. She's quoted as saying, "I feel as though they have been considerate of our feelings. The greatest tribute to the people who died there is to see life and rebirth."
How do you mix her reaction and her opinion about what should go there and what should not go there with your own?
ECKERT: Rebuilding and rebirth are all important, as well. We're not saying that it should be exclusively only one thing. But they have to harmonize. And the memorial really should be the prominent feature. It should be designed for first. It should be built first.
HEMMER: You willing to go to jail today?
ECKERT: I guess I'm resigned to it. You know, the governor made a promise. We're not here for any other reason than to remind the governor of his promise that nothing would be built on the towers. And right now, we know there are plans that there will be construction where the towers stood, and throughout the area of Ground Zero.
HEMMER: Thanks for sharing with us. Beverly Eckert. The protest goes on at noon eastern time here in New York today. Thank you.
ECKERT: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 3, 2003 - 08:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, ANCHOR: Soledad, today a group of family members of World Trade Center victims will block an entrance to Ground Zero. The southwest corner, in fact, to protest the rebuilding and the memorial process. They feel so strongly about it they're willing to go to jail.
Beverly Eckert lost her husband back on 9/11 almost two years ago. She'll be among the protesters today.
Thanks for joining us today.
BEVERLY ECKERT, HUSBAND DIED ON 9/11: Good morning.
HEMMER: What's the intent of today's protest?
ECKERT: A couple of things. We want to alert America to what exactly is happening at Ground Zero. I think maybe there's a misunderstanding throughout the country that this site is going to be preserved and protected as part of our national heritage.
And what they may not understand is that there's a lot of construction going on, and actually most of the site is being effectively obliterated.
The other thing we want to do is to remind Governor Pataki of his promise in June of 2002 when he said, "We will never build where the towers stood."
HEMMER: Take me down to Ground Zero and that 16-acre area. Are you saying that the area where the towers stood, the footprints of the tower we often refer to, there are plans right now to build on those locations?
ECKERT: There's actually structures on those footprints, both of them, right now. The Pat Station (ph) infringes on both the north and the south towers. And you know, we understand that there's a need to re-establish transportation routes that were disrupted on 9/11. But we also know that they've actually expanded the path to accommodate more trains. So it's like they're taking advantage of the situation.
HEMMER: Sure. Help me understand. What would be satisfactory to you?
ECKERT: The footprints down to bedrock should be preserved. That is sacred ground. That ground has been consecrated...
HEMMER: When you say bedrock you're meaning the seven stories below the street level?
ECKERT: Seven stories below. What the designs now call for is that some of the space will be preserved for the memorial but it will start 30 feet above bedrock. And that just, you know, to ignore the essential, what the bedrock really represents, is, to us, disrespectful.
HEMMER: You're saying build the memorial first, but you're not saying that our opposed to any form of construction in that area. Is that accurate?
ECKERT: No, no. What we want is the memorial to be the centerpiece. It should be the preeminent reference point there, and everything else that's built around it should harmonize with the memorial.
But the process has been backwards. And all of these other competing interests have been given equal balance with the memorial. And we don't think that that's correct. We think the memorial should be the most important feature there and everything else is secondary.
HEMMER: You lost your husband, Sean Rooney, that day, almost two years ago. It's fascinating to me to see the contrast and the reaction of families of the victims like yourself.
Virginia Bower (ph) is quoted in an Associated Press piece this week. Her husband was also killed in the attack. She says many families appreciate the input they've been allowed to give toward the memorial and reconstruction. She's quoted as saying, "I feel as though they have been considerate of our feelings. The greatest tribute to the people who died there is to see life and rebirth."
How do you mix her reaction and her opinion about what should go there and what should not go there with your own?
ECKERT: Rebuilding and rebirth are all important, as well. We're not saying that it should be exclusively only one thing. But they have to harmonize. And the memorial really should be the prominent feature. It should be designed for first. It should be built first.
HEMMER: You willing to go to jail today?
ECKERT: I guess I'm resigned to it. You know, the governor made a promise. We're not here for any other reason than to remind the governor of his promise that nothing would be built on the towers. And right now, we know there are plans that there will be construction where the towers stood, and throughout the area of Ground Zero.
HEMMER: Thanks for sharing with us. Beverly Eckert. The protest goes on at noon eastern time here in New York today. Thank you.
ECKERT: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
