Becca--World+Trade+Center

**Mrs. Rainer ** **Language Arts Class ** **November 15, 2010 ** **9/11 and the World Trade Center **
 * Becca Rice **

**New York City is a beautiful place and always has been and always will be!! New York City has always been famous for its tall buildings. Before September 11, 2001 the World Trade Center towers were the tallest buildings in New York City and the second tallest buildings in the United States. The World Trade Center consisted of seven buildings, including the famous twin towers, which were 70 stories high. On September 11, 2001, New York City was NOT a pretty place and after that day, the World Trade Center became the site of a defining moment in American History often referred to as 9/11. **

**__History __**

**The Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association designed the first plan for New York’s World Trade Center in January, 1960. (Harris) The twin towers sat on top of a three story base, which included a shopping area, restaurants, and theaters. Starting on the 4th floor, combination offices and hotel rooms were built up to 70 floors. (Harris) **

**In 1993, a few years after the towers were built, a terrorist car-bomb explosion damaged portions of the complex, killing six people and causing more than $300 million in damage. Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman and nine other Islamic extremists were responsible for the 1993 car bomb explosion and the mastermind, Ramzi Yousef was convicted in 1998. (E. Darton) **

**Eight years later, September 11, 2001 a bright clear day dawned on the East coast of the United States. At exactly 8:48 a.m. the bright morning turned into a nightmare. (Stewart) A SECOND terrorist attack happened. Two commercial jetliners were HIGHJACKED and were crashed into the each of the twin towers. One jetliner slammed into the first tower and 15 minutes later another jetliner crashed into the second tower! (E. Darton). The two crashes caused huge, intense fires in the upper stories of the two buildings, weakening them and causing them to collapse. Most of the buildings were destroyed. Over 2,700 people, including the passengers and crew of the jetliners and several hundred emergency medical personnel responding to the initial fires lost their lives. In the end more than 7,000 people were injured. (E. Darton) **

**In the aftermath of the twin towers destruction, many compelling interest developed. The city and state of New York, the owners of the twin tower site, the building developer, survivors of the 9/11 attack, families, and friends of those killed decided to design a plan for the twin towers memorial. The plan was approved in 2003 by Daniel Libeskind. In 2006 a new overall plan was revealed which modified the 2003 approved plan. **

**__Present __**

**On August 13, 2010, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that New York's Landmarks Preservation Commission will build a Muslim community center and mosque near the site of the World Trade Center. The Anti-Defamation League and some of the family members of the 9/11 attack are opposed to this project. The $100 million project is about “promoting integration, tolerance of difference and community cohesion through arts and sciences." (Editorial) The mosque will be called the Cordoba House, after a Spanish city where Jews, Christians and Muslims lived together peacefully for hundreds of years. The mosque will be thirteen stories tall and will have an auditorium, a art center, a swimming pool, restaurants and bookstores. The mosque will be open to everyone. **

**__Future __**

**Embracing the footprints where the towers once stood, a street level memorial plaza is planned. There will be a group of office towers that rise in height toward the, “The Freedom Tower.” In front of The Freedom Tower will be two sunken pools fed by waterfalls. The names of those who died will be displayed in the plaza, which will also include a World Trade Center museum. The complex will include a transportation hub by Spain’s Santiago Calatrava and a performing arts center. The four buildings surrounding the, “The Freedom Tower” will be designed by different architects from all over the world. Tower 1 will be designed by American architect, David M. Childs. Tower 2 will be designed by England’s Lord Norman. Tower 3 will be designed by another English architect, Lord Richard Rogers, and Tower 4 will be designed by Japan’s, Fumihiko Maki. **

**__Conclusion __**

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">What a sad day for the United States! Why do terrorist have the feeling they need to kill others? Why is terrorism used against innocent people in order to gain political goals? This was a senseless act against the United States to instill fear in citizens based on religious and political agendas. **

**__<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Works Cited __** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">Darton, E. “World Trade Center.” //Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia// July 1, 2010.

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Editorial: Ground Zero tolerance: Future New York mosque a fitting symbol of American values. //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Houston Chronicle (TX), Aug 13, 2010

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">Glanz, James and Lipton, Eric. //City in the sky.// New York: Times Books, 2003.