Ground zero, accidental tourism
Another day and another walk… The single greatest act of attention grabbing terrorism this world has ever seen, not counting any number of productions by Simon Cowell, was the infamous 9/11. Almost 10 years on I find myself wandering past as it has become just another place you tick off the list of sites of New York, terrorisms contribution to tourism. I observe people pausing for a photo opportunity as they photograph each other in front of what is now the worlds most famous building site. I am always curious as to why people choose to do this, something I also noted when observing people posing for the cameras in front of the fences of Auschwitz on a visit a couple of years ago. An interesting voyeuristic trait some of us must possess, there is an essay in this I feel. A new trade center is going up with the memorial to the old in its shadow, and so I move on but not really moved, maybe when finished it will become more poignant.