In a fitting tribute to the birth date and life of 9-year-old Christina Green, the National 9/11 flag, which was nearly destroyed in the attacks on the World Trade Center, will be displayed at her funeral on Thursday in Tucson.
The 20- by 30-foot Stars and Stripes was the largest to survive the collapse of the Twin Towers. Images that day showed it shredded and hanging by a corner.
Christina was born on Sept. 11, 2001, and had always been proud of her birth date and interested in the events of that day. She was one of six people killed in a shooting spree Saturday that also wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
The flag was being brought to the funeral by New York Firefighter Jimmy Sands, who on Tuesday evening was at John F. Kennedy International Airport awaiting a flight to Arizona, said Jeff Parnell, spokesman for the New York Says Thank You Foundation, which displays the flag at events across the country.
Parnell heard Christina's mother talking on a news program about how "Christina looked at 9/11 as a holiday . . . and looked for all the hopeful things that came out of it."
I did not see too many hopeful things come out of after the events of 9-11. But perhaps we will finally see something positive after the horrible events in Tucson.
I believe that is the least we can do to honor the memory of this precious child.
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/12/monks-make-donate-casket-for-youngest-victim-in-arizona-shooting/
ReplyDeleteAWESOME! (Just wait how Palin et al will portray this, though...:( )
ReplyDeletePhotographs of this darling girl are killing me. I hope we always hold her in our hearts as a nation. I hope we can look to her as a reminder of our obligations as Americans. She hoped. And now, we all must hope on her behalf.
ReplyDeleteI approve this message.
ReplyDeleteChristina Taylor Green
ReplyDeleteIs America's Little Girl
thanks for posting this. i guess in a family of 300 billion, there will be the dysfunctional individuals.. like "Sister" Sarah..
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful little girl. My heart goes out to her parents, grandparents and relatives. Taken too soon.
ReplyDeleteTypo at the end of your very kind post. Precious child instead of precis.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, young girl...
ReplyDeleteThat's because you were too close to it.
ReplyDeleteChristina wouldn't have understood the significance of the date until 5-7 years after the event. She was in a position of distance to the actual event and able to view the effects in a much more objective manner.
Her death is such a tragedy.
Reading thru the link posted about the wonderful gift the Monks have given to the Green family I followed another link. I liked what I read.....we are all responsible and no pretenders please! it takes a village to make a killer
ReplyDeleteTo take a gun and point it at Rep. Giffords is obviously different from putting her in your crosshairs on your web site, as Sarah Palin did last year. And the responsibility that attaches to each action is different. But we are all responsible both for what we do and for what we say. It is our society in which guns (and excuses) are so readily available. It is our society in which civility is so rapidly withering away. "Few are guilty," Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote in "The Prophets," "but all are responsible."
To pretend that people like the Tucson shooter are not influenced by the hateful rhetoric in which we are swimming these days only invites more hateful rhetoric from all sides. Unfortunately, that is what we are already seeing.
O/T, but the 'civility Project' has been canceled - for lack of civility from conservatives...
ReplyDelete""The worst e-mails I received about the civility project were from conservatives with just unbelievable language about communists, and some words I wouldn't use in this phone call," DeMoss told The Times. ..."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/12/mark-demoss-civility-project_n_808219.html
A most fitting tribute.
ReplyDeleteTo begin with I would suggest that the flag has to be a replacement of the one that was flying on the pole when the WTC was hit. It couldn't stand the flames and the heat. And besides that, is it not a little over the top to dress up a child's funeral for political show? Come on now, if this wasn't a political hit job it would be just another shooting in the long line of slaughter of innocent people gungoons wielding guns. No disrespect intended.
ReplyDeleteShe is a beautiful little child. God bless her.
ReplyDeleteI know it's not much use, but maybe, just maybe...
ReplyDeletehttp://act.credoaction.com/campaign/palin_violence/?r=6816&id=15049-2394114-my4e2Kx
My heart breaks for Christina's family and friends. Having a child her age, I can tell you from what I have read, this little girl was wise and inquisitive beyond her years. We do need to heed the words of President Obama and strive to be better for all our children. We can no longer tolerate merchants of fear and hatred.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and prayers for this lovely child - may her spirit rest in peace and joy. My heartfelt prayers go out to all those lost and wounded and their families.
ReplyDeleteOT
Is this the reason Palin is moving to AZ ? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/13/kay-bailey-hutchison-wont_n_808651.html
It would make sense that Palin knows she can't win against Obgama in 2012, better to become a Senator in 2012 in a state where her cult followers would adore her and get her elected with ease, and then run in 2016 - however, being the President actually requires work - whereas there are some who know how to turn a Senate seat into a life time money making machine with little effort on their part - perhaps Palin is sly like a fox - an AZ life time senate seat would let her have her cake and eat it too - get richer and richer, stay in the news and grab headlines, travel and live the good life at the tax payers expense - feeding her limitless ego and grow her bank account all without breaking a sweat or having to travel all over the country to campaign, no debates, and no need for interviews with the lamestream media.
It's a frightening thought having her in the Senate beating the drum for violence and ignorance day in and day out- and not sure there is anything that any one could do to stop her being elected in AZ since the rest of states would not be able to vote against her.
G. - have you heard any rumors about a possible Senate run?
Christina is America's dead little girl because America loves it's guns and it's hate politics too much. You can run from the truth Mr. Gryphen but you can't hide from it.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow another little girl will die in the same way by some nut who has been inspired by the hate to act out. And the rhetorical tomorrow will be the first in a string of tomorrows.
In the meantime, join Sarah in making a political sideshow of this child's sad passing.
anonymous 9:37. It's the family's decision, and nobody else's. If they want the flag, it's astonishingly insensitive for anyone--including you--to suggest that it's a bit much.
ReplyDeleteSo very sad for the family of this sweet little girl. I can't even imagine the depths of their sorrow. The political bs surrounding this tragedy needs to stop, however. I would be furious if my child's death was used by anyone as some sort of political prop. The parents are suffering more than anyone can begin to know, let's not add to that suffering.
ReplyDelete"... this precis child."
ReplyDeleteAssuming that you didn't actually mean "precis" (a concise epitome or abstract) did you perhaps enter the article with a device that does text prediction?
Come on, Lady Rose, didn't you read the article you linked to? Sen Hutchinson is a Senator from Texas, not Arizona.
ReplyDelete@9:37, she was born on 9/11. You are seeing the flag as political. It is, in fact, a sign of the strength of our nation. It IS the flag from the tower. It had to be repaired but it is the flag.
ReplyDelete@lady rose, best of luck to Sarah Palin (of ALL people) in being elected to the senate in arizona (or, IMO, anywhere else). Not possible given the events of the last week.
Lady Rose, according to the article you linked to, Kay Bailey Hutchison is a Texas senator.
ReplyDeleteGravely wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' recovery took another miraculous step Thursday when doctors say she was able to sit up in bed and move her legs on command.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/01/13/2011-01-13_tucson_shooting_rep_gabrielle_giffords_makes_huge_breakthroughs_in_recovery_from.html
Hutchison's Senate seat will be in Texas. Some of us speculated she will run for McCain's seat in Arizona. If the spirit of Tucson is any indicator, she won't have a chance. I am newly impressed with Tucson. -B
ReplyDeletePalin's action of taking down the map with the gunsights and also calling them surveyor's marks is an admission of her guilt. If I had lost a loved one in this incident then I would be talking to a lawyer about a lawsuit. I would say it's inevitable that somebody will. Looks good on ya Sarah!
ReplyDeleteIf that flag was made of asbestos it still wouldn't have stood up to over 1000 degree heat on the top of that pile of rubble. Trust me child, even though you want to believe. Now give your flagwaving a rest and think of what has happened without getting wrapped up in the politics so much.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I see a picture of little Christina my heart breaks all over again. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose my own little girl. Christina was such a bright, vibrant looking child... her eyes were so full of hope, so full of life... what a tragedy.
ReplyDeleteThe entire site of Ground Zero measured in at 16 acres. Not everything was on fire. When the buildings collapsed it knocked out some of the fire. The fires burned for months, but the entire site was not on fire.
ReplyDeleteFor all you non believers, yes this flag did survive. I believe the 3 fireman were trying to raise it. Go back & check the iconic pix of 9/11.
NYCgirl
meant to link to a different story of a GOP Congressman who is resigning and another not running again in AZ - sorry about wrong links don't have time to find the article again - but it reminded me that others had mentioned Palin might run for Senate, and the more I think about it the more it makes sense (at least in Palin world).
ReplyDeleteLady Rose,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you that is her plan. I bet she would, once in office, would try to secede the state. Looks like that is what they want there anyway.
Christina Green deserves to have that flag at her funeral. She isn't a veteran, so protocol says a new flag cannot drape her coffin. ((And to the 1000 degree troll out there - we all saw paper float to the ground that day; why couldn't a FLAG survive under a pile of 100+ floors of rubble?!))
ReplyDeleteThis child's birth and death were no coincidence.
It happened in ARIZONA, for God's sake. Think about it: John McCain himself was sitting on the 2nd row last night, knowing his former running mate drew crosshairs on the wife of that ASTRONAUT sitting on the FRONT ROW next to the FLOTUS.
I hope Christina Green brings the whole 9/11 crisis full circle. On 9/11/01 a terrible thing happened, and Republicans ran with it -- putting us into two wars -- taking away personal "freedoms" -- running our economy into the ground.
Now this little girl and Gabby Giffords and the Obamas represent what this country can be. Right in the face of its worst offenders. Right there in Arizona.
To those who might think this domestic terrorist attack is an isolated incident. Beware of more to come. California Representative Bob Filner was attacked after winning his election against a Tea Party member: http://tinyurl.com/4od45lp
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful tribute to her.
ReplyDeleteThanks - this made me cry for her (and all) again.
"And besides that, is it not a little over the top to dress up a child's funeral for political show?"
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous @ 9:37 a.m.: Give it a rest for God's sake. This special little girl was born on one of the worst days in American history. She, along with 49 other children who were born on 9/11, were profiled in a book filled with hope and quoted by the resident in his speech last night. Christina Taylor Green was very aware the importance of the day of her birth and was following her own dreams and desires when she was murdered. It is appropriate that a flag which flew over the ruins at the World Trade Center, on the day of her birth, should fly over her funeral in what her own father called "the bookends of her life."
What an adorable child with such a beautiful spirit.
ReplyDeleteI hope your next life is full of peace, kindness and love. (Yes, I believe in reincarnation).
RIP Sweet Angel, Christina.
ReplyDeleteLet us all rise above the fray and strive to create a world worthy of our precious children.
the Flag:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSwatsYv5Eg
hundreds of supporters line the street
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V1m1onN4-M
-kellygrrrl
There is another one quite like Christina Taylor Green: Scott Calvin Dieter. He was born in the former Soviet Union and he was the adoptive son of Craig Brian Eric and Beth Ann (Laufer) Dieter. It would be possible to put the American Flag (Scott Dieter's citizenship) and the Ukrainian or Russian Flag (Scott Dieter's birthplace). The gunman of Dieter was shot dead by Ben (never "Benjamin") A. Campbell.
ReplyDelete