Set to another Ennio Morricone masterpiece.
Synopsis
Architect Paul Murdoch split his giant Crescent of Embrace memorial to Flight 93 into two separate arcs at the top, in effect creating two separate crescents:
Detail view shows the pair of thousand foot long, fifty foot tall, Entry Portal walls. Both walls roughly follow the line of the circle that is symbolically broken by the flight path (seen coming down from the NNE).
The crescent defined by the end of the inner Entry Portal Wall points 1.8° north of Mecca, ± a tenth of a degree. The crescent defined by the end of the outer Entry Portal Wall points exactly at Mecca (± 0.1°):
The hidden exact Mecca orientation of the giant crescent is only one of the ways that Murdoch proves he pointed the crescent towards Mecca on purpose (making it a mihrab, the Mecca direction indicator around which every mosque is built). He also proves intent by exactly repeating both of the Mecca orientations of his giant central crescent in the crescents of trees that surround the Tower of Voices part of the memorial.
That two different crescent structures would by chance turn out to have this exact same multi-Mecca oriented geometry is 1 in 131 billion. Just run the numbers (with some help from Mr. Morricone):
The previous two parts of this video series here and here.
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We will need gasoline, dynamite and some spare time in the dead of night.
Curt, why doesn’t the architect just modify the plan to accommodate the concerns raised here? It is hard to believe they miss the sensitivity issues surrounding this monument.
What if we happened to build an Abu Graib monument? And what if someone decided there appeared to be a cross.
The outcry would be deafening. Liberals would claim that the mere appearance of Christianity is an insult so the design must be changed.
Whether this crescent is intentional or not, it is offensive. What is the harm in choosing a design for a _national_ monument that does not offend the people it is supposed to inspire and honor?
Who remembers the screaming from the Liberals when Huckabee had a commercial in front of a bookcase ? They were absolutely certain that it was a) intentional subliminal advertising AND b) that he was overtly pandering to Christians. (how can it be both subliminal and overt? Only in a liberal’s mind )
Their position was quite clear. If it offends, it is the fault of the ad’s sponsor. And Huckabee apologized for any offense and I think it did not air for long.
Whether the 9/11 Crescent Memorial is intentional or not, it has taken on a hurtful meaning to a lot of people. Surely a designer can find a way to adapt this to remove any possible hidden meaning – what would be the harm?
Of course we are asking this of the same people who saw no problem in refusing to provide a birth certificate! It would take 10 minutes to send a letter to Hawaii authorizing the release to anyone with press credentials, so why not?????
Tom, where should we meet?
Well, that’s a tough one, as I am in Seattle and can’t really get away. But I can be there in spirit!