Ground Zero: a place for remembrance, or for gawkers? Thousands died there, and many more still mourn. Should the World Trade Center site be open to the public?

• Author: Shortt, Caitlyn
• Position: Opinion

YES When I visited New York City for a swim meet in December, six teammates and I got the chance to visit the World Trade Center site. No words can fully describe the intensity of what I felt being there.

I had watched the horrible collapse on TV as it happened. I cried as I watched, but it still felt very unreal and far away. Seeing Ground Zero with my own eyes gave me a whole different perspective on what really happened. When we were there, I looked at other people's facial expressions. I saw people crying and running away, because they couldn't stand to look at it anymore. Seeing the destruction made me feel anger, anguish, fear, hope, and pride. It's something my teammates and I will never forget.

This is why Ground Zero should be open to the public. For those who don't live in or near New York, it's impossible to understand the scale of the destruction from TV. If New York doesn't let people see it, Americans won't be able to fully appreciate what happened. Besides, Ground Zero is not the first site of tragedy to be opened to the public. The battlefields of Gettysburg, where thousands died in the Civil War, and Nazi concentration camps from World War II have long been open to visitors, because we understand it's important to face up to and remember the horrors of the past.

We all need to remember this event and how strong the U.S. was. Seeing Ground Zero in person made me proud to be American. We might get in the way when New Yorkers are trying to get somewhere downtown, but they need to realize that with our visits we are remembering the victims, their families, and all New Yorkers who suffered on Sept. 11.

--CAITLYN SHORTT, 15 Hood River, Ore. NO Downtown Manhattan, for a short period of time a ghost town, has become as crowded as ever. As I struggle to push my way...