Staten Island's Postcards Memorial
(2008-07-19 at 15:34:55 )

On September 11, 2001 I was alleviating my " public service " bug at
I.S. 49 as a polling inspector for that day's primary election when
I was informed that a plane had smashed into the World Trade Center.

The first thought and comment I had was that someone was piloting a
small private plane, under the influnce of alcohol, and was too
inebriated to see the building. When I was informed that it was not
a small private plane; but instead a large passenger jet, full of
human beings, I cursed at the stupidity of the pilots.

Then I was informed that a second passenger jet, that was full of
human beings, had crashed into the other World Trade Center Tower.

Everyone was just stunned!! Frantic women entered the building to
withdraw their children from school. A gauntlet of emotions ran
through everyone as we got updates from the police officers through
their radio communications.

Both of those mighty buildings came crashing down that day and the
polls closed early. I walked over to the Clifton train station and
saw the billowing plumes of smoke that rose from Manhattan; and like
a lot of people on Staten Island's East Shore, I cried and kicked at
things. " We were, once again, caught with our pants down " !!

People were asleep at the switch; lots of people were asleep at the
switches. How did our vast array of tax funded government agencies
fail to prevent this tragedy.

The television antennae that I helped to constuct at Andrew Alford's
that had sat at the top of those buildings were in the rubble with
the thousands of people who died very miserable deaths on that day.

Pictures, candles, appeals, tears, despair, anguish, and sometimes
insanity appeared all over Staten Island for many months and many
years afterward.

I wanted to erect " Politician Pillories " for the expensive idiots
running our government! The ordinary American citizen could therefor
come by the Pillories and use their belts or shoes to beat on these
totally incompetent nincompoops.

The only thing that I ever praised Staten Island's politicians for
is the speed, dedication, and class they exhibited in erecting the
" Postcards " memorial to Staten Island's many 9-11-01 victims.

The " Postcards Memorial " is behind the Richmond County Ballpark
and adjacent to the Saint George ferry terminal. It points to where
the " Twin Towers " once proudly stood. The memorial's inside walls
display the names of Staten Islanders who perished on that day!!