For presentation on the floor of the United States Senate!

"A COMMON GROUND FOR HEALING"
January 17, 2002
For Susan, Justice, Jonathan and Grant


For most human beings, “closure” is an all-important concept which is commonly discussed more now than ever before. And though it is difficult to be positive in our common pain, "it is time (as Will Rogers might have said) to commence to begin" a meaningful end to this incredible chapter in the American Saga.

“Closure” is a final destination devoutly to be wished for the entire country and the entire world. Our journey toward closure must have a first step in order for us to ever arrive there together.

Transcendent of differences, most of us believe that we need to somehow say goodbye to those who have left us. Most of us attend a ceremony that includes a grave-side service ending with a handful of soil tossed with thoughtful reflection into the grave.

All of us experience the grieving process in our own way and at our own rate of speed. The majority of us will benefit emotionally if we can feel that our personal grief is included as a substantive part of our nation’s official business of healing. Healing which must include all the tragedies which have occurred since September 11, 2001.

Our people require at least an opportunity to gather spiritually at the “grave-side” in reflection for those in Heaven, but also to display to all men and women everywhere our positive resolve for the future. With thoughts of love and unity rather than those of hatred and confusion, each of us might be permitted to tenderly toss our handful of earth and finally begin to accept that together we shall go on with hope.

IT IS THEREFORE PROPOSED THAT:

Beginning with local communities as organized by each municipal government and continuing on at the direction of the Office of the Governor of each state, and ultimately culminating with executive oversight resting with the Mayor of New York City, one million tons of earth will be gathered locally in every community. Handful-by-handful...earth offered up by millions of Americans from every state in the Union, collected and combined, then transported to New York to mend the "wounded earth."

It is proposed that we use the hands of the nation to heal ourselves and put an end, with God’s help, to this nightmare experience. If this is done . . .

In years to come and forever more, generation after generation will return to find that the earth has healed and that our nation remains cleansed with common tears from such horror. Perhaps they will find the presence of the “better Angels of our nature,” to quote Mr. Lincoln, evidenced by peace instead of war, quiet instead of a deafening explosion, stability instead of collapse. And perhaps some of us may even return and remember that our own hands held for a moment the very soil that has filled the void.

Whether, as some people propose, this site will in future see even more lofty construction – or, as others may wish, it is transformed into the “little sister” to Central Park, the space is sacred and must in some manner be treated as a consecrated place.

As we know, a million tons of earth were originally excavated for the World Trade Center and went to create “New Real Estate” on the Hudson. We now have the opportunity to be revolutionary with our approach to a healing exercise, which is vital to us all. We have the opportunity to create a “Uniquely New and Real Estate” which we as one people will declare as a legacy to the world as “A Common Ground for Healing.”


LOC 2002


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------