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WHY THE SYMBOL & WHAT IT MEANS
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Why The Symbol?
We are not a doctors, we're not grief counselors, we can't drive a bulldozer or operate a crane. If a simple symbol will help make sure nobody forgets what has happened, then maybe something like this will be less likely to happen again.
Why The Web Site?
Initially this web site will provide links to help people locate the injured and missing. This part of the site is temporary. The site also provides links to help guide people towards the agencies and organizations that provide verified and legitimate support to the victims and their families. This will remain indefinitely. Lastly, the main reason for the site is to provide a place for anyone on the internet to find and copy The Symbol. The Symbol is here for anyone to use, for any purpose, provided that all profits from its use be directed to an agency or organization dedicated to helping the victims and families, or - as in the case of the American Red Cross - helping in any type of disaster relief.
What Does The Symbol Stand For?
We shall overcome... With or without this symbol, we know that as a people we will overcome this Attack on America. That was never in doubt, and that is why the message on the symbol was not "we shall overcome" as was suggested by some who saw early versions. The danger in "overcoming" is that we will feel too comfortable again and drop our guard. The person checking bags at the airport will let something slip by, or the supervisor of a municipal water department won't check the credentials of a new employee (and we don't mean to single out just these two examples, we should all be more vigilant). The danger is forgetting what happened and allowing it to happen again.
It's great that everyone is flying their flags (we are too), but the flag means so much more to America that it can never stand alone as a reminder of this terrible event. This day, this time, this place needs a symbol of it's own. We would like this symbol to be displayed along with the flag, and remain visible after the flags are put away. Xerox copies in car and office windows, on t-shirts, arm bands, hats, buttons and bumper stickers. Any place anyone wants to use the symbol is fine with us. Once again, our only condition is that anyone using the symbol donate all profits to disaster relief.
What Does The Design Mean?
Obviously the design is the date of the attack with the World Trade Center towers forming the "11" in 09/11/01. The goal was to keep the design stark and simple. It should hold up to multiple faxing, and be recognizable in just about any printed condition. Words that come to mind are powerful, sad, shocking, compelling. It should visually "feel" like the intended message.
What about The Pentagon?... There was a design that included the Pentagon shape (in place of the outer circle), but we chose not to use that version for a couple of reasons. The Pentagon stands. The loss of life in the Washington DC and Pennsylvania attacks are no less tragic than those in New York. But, the crash outside Pittsburgh left no nationally recognizable image separate from the overall attack itself and the heroism of the passengers that prevented the terrorists from reaching their intended target. In the case of the DC attack, the Pentagon will be rebuilt. It will stand as its own symbol and nobody living or working in or near it will ever forget what happened. The World Trade Center towers, one of the symbols of America itself, are lost forever. They will (we believe) never be rebuilt as they were. We hope that the edifice and/or memorial that will someday be erected on that spot becomes a new symbol for New York and America, but it won't be the Twin Towers. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, the "Pentagon version" looked too much like a military patch. It looked like a regimental or battalion emblem, and the goal of the Symbol is not retaliation, it's prevention.
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