The Whirligig of Life: WTC

Sunday, September 11, 2011

World Trade Center September 10, 2011

Last night I went to a friend's birthday party in Jersey City (across the Hudson River from the WTC site). The lights were on for a little while and I grabbed a couple of pictures. By the time I was done with dinner the lights were off but I went to the waterfront and got some shots of the new tower and the lower Manhattan skyline.

I took the PATH train into the World Trade Center station and figured I'd go shoot some photos of the new tower from below. Everyone said, "Don't go to the WTC. It's too dangerous." But I figured it was probably the safest place in the city last night so I went out and looked around.

While I was there I heard a bunch of motorcycles riding a few blocks away. And by a bunch I mean over 500. These were Harley Davidsons and they were LOUD (and awesome). They stopped traffic for a good 5 to 7 minutes. The parade passed and a few minutes later a huge group of riders showed up at the PATH station to attach a wreath for a friend who was lost in 2001. There were bagpipers and they all said the Pledge of Allegiance and then someone spoke about not harboring hatred and then the bagpipers played. This was all after midnight.

This city is crazy and a mess and awesome and I love it.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Veiled Women in France

I'm not a Muslim. I'm not even religious. But I believe people have the right to practice what they believe as long as they don't shove their beliefs on me. Women wearing burkas and niqabs have as much right to wear them as I have to not have to wear them. France has now banned niqabs.

From the NYTimes report about it:

When the law was approved by the lower house of Parliament last year, there was only one opposing vote, cast by Daniel Garrigue, an opponent of President Sarkozy, who said: “To fight an extremist behavior, we risk slipping toward a totalitarian society.

Some of us in the 'free' world seem to be losing our way lately.