But then I grew disillusioned with them. They were plain, soul-less, even life-less — especially when compared with the Empire State building and the Chrysler building. Sure, I’d go up to the top to see the view, but the base of the buildings was forgettable.

On our NYC visit in early Septemer 2001, we didn’t even get to the WTC.
A week later, I wished we had.

My initial 9/11 response was “let’s build exactly what was there, but a foot higher” just to show that violence achieves nothing (the extra foot was spite, I guess). Let the memorial be something else. Let the building be an attempt to return to normalcy.

I happened to be in Washington, on the mall, a few weeks later. Even in that environment I was able to get into the gallery of the Senate (remarkable, the freedom we have [had?] in this country). Around the top of the walls are friezes of legal figures. I noted the inclusion of Sulieman, and wondered how many Taliban or al Queda courts would have an American legal scholar similarly enshrined.

Sorry, I’ve drifted afield. Powerful memories will lead to that.