12134 1 12134 Professor L. Overman English 155 CMP 2 November 2006 A Living Memorial On the morning of April 19, 1995 a young man left a truck bomb in the parking lot of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Moments later the walls of the building were crumbling. Rescue workers and pedestrians alike rushed to the site to save the innocent people trapped inside. Parents, siblings, and children died as a result of this gruesome terrorist attack. No one imagined that a simple man, looking like any other American could be the culprit. Within a year a committee had been established to select a design for the memorial which would be built on the site (Stein 27). The tribute was erected in remembrance of the dead. Because this is a national monument I believe that the design should have had a broader meaning. Its purpose is to provide a place where all Americans can remember that tragic day; however, the design creates a personal cemetery-like atmosphere for the family of the victims. Families held their own memorial services and buried their loved ones where they thought appropriate. They can visit the site privately and mourn their loss. The Oklahoma City bombing site should not be a place for individual family members to mourn, but a symbol of America s ability to move forward. Often, the only reason for creating a memorial for a person is simply the fact that they died. With all due respect, some of the people who have been killed as a result of a terrorist attack do not deserve to be memorialized. The memorial in Oklahoma was built five years after Timothy McVeigh detonated a homemade bomb killing 168 people. The design includes a field of 168 chairs for each life lost (Stein 32). These individual monuments are supposed to represent the empty seat at the dinner table for each family member. This is a unique design in the sense
12134 2 that the people are not represented by blocks of stone but a metaphor. However, the abstractness of the design is lost due to the quantity of the items. Looking at the sea of chairs, one may as well be looking at tomb stones. Rather than remembering the tragedy as a whole and learning from the event we choose a handful of people, or 168 as the case may be, and dwell on their memory. In our countries history, we have multiple examples of people and events being memorialized. Abraham Lincoln s success in abolishing slavery is a widely respected triumph; as a result we have the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. While some may interpret this monument as a tribute to Honest Abe I see it as an admiration of his work. A myriad of slaves were tortured and countless others died before they were able to live freely. Because they could not be named individually the Lincoln Memorial gives homage to their memory and the man who helped them. When creating a memorial it is important to remember why it is being constructed. It is not Lincoln that is being monumentalized but his actions. What is being memorialized in Oklahoma? Whether or not we build a monument, the victims will be remembered. The memorial is not respecting the people, but instead commemorating the hard work and preparation that McVeigh put into his plan. In a speech at the dedication of the Gettysburg military cemetery, Lincoln said, that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain (Lincoln 2). The purpose of a memorial is not only to remember but prevent similar tragedies in the future. A monument for the Oklahoma City bombing must not be a monument at all; at least not in the common sense of the word. Reflecting on a tragedy is simply not enough. Taking action to move past a tragedy is a collaborative effort. The Oklahoma City National Memorial, and other places of remembrance, should elicit a reaction from all who are in its presence. Instead of dedicating the entire grounds to a memorial, architects should have designed a new office
12134 3 building. Those who survived that horrific event did not have jobs waiting for them after their recovery. The new design would be a rectangular shaped building with an open-air garden in the center. The garden would be dedicated to all those who suffered that day. Americans often say that we, as a nation, are not fazed by hateful actions; the terrorists can never win because we will never stop being Americans. However, by creating a memorial which is specifically designed as a tribute to such a day we are letting the terrorists succeed. Timothy McVeigh wanted to destroy the federal building and he accomplished his task. Creating a monument for the dead instead of a living memorial like an office building sends the message that McVeigh or anyone else can get away with destroying America. In my opinion, one of the main reasons why the Armand Hammer Museum is not an effective memorial is its lack of emotion. Many of the images are meant to draw the viewer in to the photograph or painting but they do not accomplish this task. In Wolfgang Tillmans exhibit there are a number of portraits of people and every day life. However, since visitors do not know the subjects of the photographs they can not relate. Human beings have a funny way of being self-absorbed; if the topic does not affect them directly they show no interest. In his photograph, Arcadia I, Tillmans features three young men with their arms around one another. From the ring on his finger, we can tell that one of the men is married. Their faces are not completely visible so the audience cannot be sure if they are crying or rejoicing. The title of the work does not explain anything about the people; similarly, a stranger visiting the Oklahoma City Memorial knows nothing about the people represented by each chair. However, if they were to visit the newly constructed office building they could feel the courage and strength it took for people to return to work and continue living. This particular museum is not a memorial for an event but for the artist. Memorials that were created for people who suffered through an attack should concentrate on looking past the event. When a person volunteers for battle they are doing
12134 4 something that is truly admirable. Stephen Spielberg s film, Saving Private Ryan, can be considered a memorial for the soldiers who served in World War II. There is nothing wrong with remembering those who died because they gave their life for an honorable cause. When a person dies because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time it is hardly the same thing. Instead of remembering why they were victimized we try to find a reason to build them up and make them a part of history. The movie shows us, albeit very graphically, what actually happened on the shores of Normandy. Men were killed in battle fighting to protect others. With this particular event, it is important to remember people because their actions were memorable. On April 19, there was no part of McVeigh s actions that are worth remembering. Another reason why the Oklahoma memorial and other individually labeled monuments are problematic is the exclusion of people. The victims of the bombing were all found but often loved ones are left unaccounted. The men and women who did not give their lives but instead sacrificed their sanity do not have individual plaques or chairs to honor them. Some of the people who are glorified may not deserve the honor. In addition to the Field of Empty Chairs, the designers included a field of fruit trees representing the survivors and people who participated in the recovery. Even though this shows an effort to recognize these brave people it is hardly the focal point of the monument. Often, with monuments a person s death is glorified while the true memorial of their life is forgotten. A man might walk into work one morning not knowing that he won t be walking out. He could be a hard working family man, trying to make another dollar; on the contrary, he could be a child molester. Without knowing a single fact about the victims of a tragedy we jump at the chance to sing their praises. Forgetting about the victims would also be a grave mistake. A memorial should provide an equal balance, honoring all who were involved and affected. Creating an office building is the perfect way to prove that the hateful act of terrorism was unsuccessful.
12134 5 The front of the memorial in Oklahoma City has the following words inscribed on the Gate of Time, We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity (Stein 3). The memorial is surrounded by two walls with the times 9:01 and 9:03 inscribed in them. The attack took place at 9:02 a.m. This feature is not necessary. Although the words inscribed on the gate, to some extent, reflect the design of the monument, its goal is not completely fulfilled. The words only have meaning if people understand them. The new design of the building would also include the Gate of Time as the entrance into the garden. These are powerful words that can be truly meaningful in the right setting. The new design should also keep its name as the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. This would only be one more testament to our nation s ability to move forward. National Monuments lose all significance if they cannot be accepted and admired on a national basis. This is why the new design would be a true national monument. In the garden, Americans can still pay their respects if they chose to, but people can go on with their lives and continue working. Six years after the bombing another tragedy struck our nation. We were not able to prevent another group of terrorists from attacking our country. Now, five years after the catastrophe of September 11, we want to build another memorial. With any luck, this time we will create a monument that not only respects the memory of our loved ones but keeps their death from being in vain. If we continue building monuments without learning anything from them, we will be left standing among shrines.
12134 6 Works Cited Lincoln, Abraham. The White House. 24 October 2006. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/ presidents/al16.html>. Saving Private Ryan. Dir. Stephen Spielberg. Dreamworks, 1998. Stein, R. Conrad. The Oklahoma City National Memorial. New York: Children s Press, 2003. UCLA Hammer Museum. Los Angeles. 21 October 2006.