A movement has been launched by 9/11 victims’ families to halt progress at the W.T.C. and to expand the memorial. This challenge unites interests that pose a real threat to the W.T.C. site plan selected based on public input. The banner for this movement is “Take Back the Memorial.” The strategy is to create controversy over cultural institutions, to force them off the site. But various statements by the group regarding retail, cultural and memorial components indicate a broader objective. This is an incarnation of the 16-acre memorial movement supported by a rightwing that is fear mongering about leftwing anti-Americans.

“Take Back the Memorial” is claiming censorship authority over site. I predict that it will not stop with this building. This censorship will inevitably kill all cultural initiatives. The same strategy could well be used to oppose retail and perhaps, components of commercial and transportation facilities. Under the philosophy of “all 9/11 all the time,” advocates will try to restrict pedestrian access to the memorial area to 9/11 tourists.