These images show how opponents of the International Freedom Center at Ground Zero are making their point.
This is what it would look like if the politically charged museum proposed for the World Trade Center site was shoehorned into the simple and moving Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.
If it it’s not right for Vietnam memorial, the opponents say, it’s not right for Ground Zero.
Dubbed “Adventures in Ridiculousness,” the super-imposed images can be viewed at http://www.takebackthememorial.com, which opposes locating the Freedom Center at the site.
Freedom Center officials put forth a proposal Thursday stating that 9/11 would be the main focus of the museum, but that it would also deal with larger issues of justice and equality to put the attack in perspective.
That did little to calm the projects’ vocal critics, though.
The LMDC may make a decision on the project next month after public hearings.
Meanwhile, three New York lawmakers yesterday said the controversial International Freedom Center takes a “blame America first” view of 9/11 as they demanded a probe into spending of $2.7 billion in federal funds at Ground Zero.
“Those public funds were provided to rebuild New York and honor the devastating loss we experienced. They were not allocated to illustrate a partisan anti-America portrayal of our nation,” said Rep. John Sweeney (R-N.Y.).
Sources said the probe would explore issues like why it’s taking so long to get a 9/11 memorial built – and why the IFC spent money on the politically connected PR firm Mercury Communications, which stars Gov. Pataki’s ex-aide Mike McKeon.
IFC president Richard Tofel said Mercury is being paid with privately raised IFC funds rather than federal funds but declined to say how much it’s getting paid.
The congressional hearing could be a prelude to a move to cut off all federal funds for the IFC – as well as examining the IFC’s accounting practices and overall spending at Ground Zero.