9/11 Memorial in Paris: The French Will Never Forget

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Paris will be remembering 9/11 at Trocadero, with this powerful temporary monument. It was still in progress this afternoon but we think it will complete the memorial event in New York City tomorrow. Written in French and English – The French Will Never Forget– with the twin towers framing the Eiffel Tower, it’s an impactful statement about solidarity and monumentalism. And after all, Jacques Chirac was the first foreign President to fly above the ruins of the World Trade Center in a helicopter with Giuliani.

For native New Yorkers like myself, the repercussions of that one day in history replicate in certain moments in our lives. We go on– the rhythm of the city never fades– but with every explosion, fire and even the rare earthquake that hit us a few weeks ago, our hearts skip a beat and wonder if it is happening again. We raid our grocery stores before a hurricane because after that day, we knew we were no longer invincible to any threat – manmade or not. With our invincibility and our naive belief in global good will shattered, the country’s political response forever altered our relationship with the rest of the world. Some of us opened up and desired to travel, to understand. Others closed in, protecting from faraway threats. This weekend we will stop to contemplate, to allow the emotions to run over. Ten years ago, we didn’t have Facebook or Twitter. What will the next ten years bring?