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Visiting the Shanksville Site
Visiting the Shanksville Site
Crash Site Location
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The site is just as quiet now as it was before the tragedy but for different reasons. The property is actually a reclaimed coal strip mine, which up until the crash, was reclaimed as fertile, productive farmland. The area is peaceful and beautiful with sprawling green meadows, green woods, distant colorful farms, and even a calm lake. This quiet setting naturally lends itself to the current task of mourning tremendous loss. However, there are intense tensions swirling just outside the quiet. A tug of war of control has ensued between conflicting interests over what should be done, concerning the future of the property.
Federal Government Presence
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First and foremost are the victim's families who want control over how the site should be developed as a memorial to honor their lost loved ones. In addition to a monument, the site will also forever be a cemetery as the fallen remain on site, entombed within the crash site itself. The landowner also has a stake in what happens. Since the tragedy, the landowner has not been able to farm the land and has lost several hundred thousands of dollars in lost crop revenues. The small shed in the photograph above represents the Federal Government's presence on the site, staking a claim to what role they may play within the future development of the property. And last but not least, you have ordinary Americans who feel a connection to the event and often leave monuments and tributes of their own behind that remain long after their visit.
Memorial Gifts on Display
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All of America has a stake in what happened at Shanksville, PA and we also all have some stake in how the legacy of the site will be preserved for eternity. Until then, the court room dramas and self interest struggle will continue the debate long into the future. Like Ground Zero, nothing is really happening yet and that may be just the way it should remain for now.
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