Lucy was a legend
To The Editor:
Re “Lucy Cecere, 87, senior advocate, heart of the Village” (obituary, March 23):
Lucy was a true legend — a one-of-a-kind human being. I was fortunate to have known her through the Village Nursing Home and then the Caring Community. Here in Provence, France, I am in tears.
Patricia Fieldsteel
Believes Beal speaks truth
To The Editor:
Re “Pot activist still in the joint: ‘It was all medical marijuana’ ” (news article, March 8):
This coming Fourth of July, I will have known Dana Beal for 40 years. I worked with him on many projects throughout the 1970’s and ’80’s. In the late ’80’s, Dana and I had a major falling out and we went our separate ways. We continued to work on an occasional project, though not often and never again for long periods.
During the time that I have known him, Dana has always been a proponent of both the medical and private use of marijuana. He was an active member of Rock Against Racism, a member of ACT UP, a proponent of ibogaine (a plant-based aid in the cure of heroin addition) and a founding member of Cures Not Wars, as well as many other humanitarian projects. As a matter of fact, I hear Dana is trying to get ibogaine to prisoners he is currently in jail with.
So when I hear that Dana is sitting in jail because he was trying to get medical marijuana to people who need it, I can believe that is exactly what Dana was doing.
Free Dana now!
Jerry Wade
a.k.a. Jerry The Peddler
Voice, choice or muzzle?
To The Editor:
The fundamental issue is that true consultation with all family members, as per established museum guidelines, has never been done by the 9/11 Memorial Museum — and family members should make the final decision regarding the human remains of their loved ones being placed in a museum. True consultation is giving the families a voice and a choice re loved ones’ remains.)
No comprehensive survey of any type has ever been done regarding the placement of the human remains in the basement of the 9/11 Museum. Those misinformed individuals who are spouting disingenuous statements are either ignorant of the history or are just spouting the official party line of the city and 9/11MM bureaucrats.
The majority of the families as well as the public at large have no idea re any details of these plans. True, meaningful consultation has never been done regarding families’ agreeing to making the human remains a “programmable element” of this museum.
In the early years of the past decade, since shortly after 9/11, many family members were open to the idea of someday returning the remains to GZ at a proper and respectful, aboveground Memorial and repository for the remains.
We were always led to believe (by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation) that we would have a separate above ground tomb-like structure — a hallowed ground fully accessible to the public, with an adjacent private area for families to reflect.
This was clearly stated in the” LMDC WTC Site Memorial Competition Guidelines” (Spring, 2003). This document specified that the memorial would “be distinct from other memorial structures like a museum or visitor center’ and ‘could not include commercial structures.” The memorial was to include a “separate accessible space to serve as a final resting-place for the unidentified remains from the World Trade Center site.”
Since I was part of the original “Coalition of 9/11 Families” and “LMDC Family Advisory Committee” who contributed to the principles expressed in this document, I know for sure what the family members agreed to in 2003.
No family member ever agreed in 2003 to put remains in a museum at Ground Zero because, at that time, there was absolutely no discussion of a museum. Our work was focused on one thing alone: A MEMORIAL. I can attest to the fact that the idea of placing remains in a museum in 2003 would have been just as repugnant to the families then as it is today!
The disingenuous half-truths spouted by the city of New York, 9/11MM and some misguided family members must be challenged. It is TRUE that many families agreed that remains should be returned to Ground Zero — but NOT to a MUSEUM, but to a MEMORIAL that we were promised. That is the true story and those who are issuing disingenuous statements must stop doing so immediately. The city of NY needs to agree to sending a letter to each family member, informing them of the current plan in the museum, and giving them a choice as to the disposition of their loved ones’ remains at Ground Zero.
Sally Regenhard
Letters policy
Downtown Express welcomes letters to The Editor. They must include the writer’s first and last name, a phone number for confirmation purposes only, and any affiliation that relates directly to the letter’s subject matter. Letters should be less than 300 words. Downtown Express reserves the right to edit letters for space, clarity, civility or libel reasons. Letters should be e-mailed to news@DowntownExpress.com or can be mailed to 145 Sixth Ave., N.Y., N.Y. 10013.
