DAY FORTY EIGHT:Oct. 28:
It was another Sunday in the new, New York. Another day for contemplation made all the weightier because the City declared it an official memorial day. Those of you who have been receiving my daily missives know that long ago it seemed to many, perhaps most, New Yorkers that Ground Zero was hallowed. It is also, of course, sacred to real estate developers, business interests and the economic future of the city. There are conflicting senses of sanctity, which all agreed to concede the Ground today for 24 hours.
The firefighters and police stopped their search for pieces of their comrades, demolition workers ceased their digging and the only excavation activity that continued, be necessity, was the constant hosing that is required to prevent flame-outs and excess heat. Steady steam venting and stench emission, of course, continued. Whether or not men scour and scrape, the debris pile continues to breathe, belch and boil.
For the first time the families of the deceased gathered together, several thousand strong, to mourn at the common burial ground. The ceremony was, for the most part, dignified, at moments even beautiful. The families sat grim-faced and brave, looking at the mass grave, shivering against temperatures in the 40s and stiff winds. Some wore masks, and I thought that all of them should, not because of toxicity but because every Ground Zero breath is, in some sense, an inhalation laced with the remains of the dead. It's horrible to imagine. But it is true.
It also, sadly, seems to be true that the Bush Administration has been torn by internal turf battles and squabbles that have impeded effective control of the anthrax assaults. In every bioterrorism role-playing exercise I have attended over the years this exact split among federal agencies has surfaced, pitting disease control experts against law enforcement. It was predicted. It was widely discussed and written about in countless documents and articles. Yet when a real crisis arose the players seemed unable to step out of their roles, avoiding the scenes that they knew would endanger the public good. I wrote about it in today's paper:
The usual Sunday morning political talk shows were rife with speculations about anthrax, Bush Administration competence and a possible Iraqi connection. The FBI, stung by criticism over its failure to provide full information about the Washington anthrax strain to the CDC, today revealed that the chemicals used in electrostatic treatment of the spores found in Sen. Daschle's office are "signatures of the Iraqi bioweapons program". Will Monday bring word of retaliation against Iraq?
Meanwhile, electioneering continues in Gotham, with the leadership of the city in play. Republican Bloomberg has now set a dubious record, having spent a whopping $48 million of his own money on his campaign. Far from being ashamed at blatantly attempting to buy a mayorality, Bloomberg flaunts it as his prime asset. In his ads and speeches he brags of having two strong suits. First, he says, there are no possible conflicts on interest because he, a billionaire, need not use anybody else's money to gain victory. In other words, it is because he is rich, Bloomberg says, that he can be trusted, a bold premise in a town that is notoriously pro-labor. Secondly, he asserts that he would be the better mayor because he has no political experience whatsoever. In a neat trick, Bloomberg has made political skills and a history of governence strikes against his Democratic opponent, Mark Green.
Green is trying to fight back, but his comparatively poorly funded campaign, backed by thousands of small donations from New Yorkers and a few big piles of union dollars, is unable to muster the slick Madison Avenue TV ads and billboards that can match Bloomberg's appeal. One ironic point Green began stressing today is that his professional background, experience and skills --- those things that Bloomberg has attacked as evidence of something suspicious, of "politicians" --- most closely mirror those of New York's favorite son, Rudolph Giuliani. Today Rudy formally endorsed Bloomberg, as he must do lest he estrange his fellow Republicans. But the endorsement comes only 9 days before the general election and seems half-hearted.
It remains impossible to say who will next lead Gotham in what is probably the most challenging moment in her four centuries of history.
The day ended on a sad note: another Yankees rout. Our Boys of Summer can't seem to find a strategy for beating the Diamondbacks. For two nights they have floundered, frustration evident on all their faces. In two days they will play in the Bronx, and all of New York will expectantly look uptown, their backs to Ground Zero and their hopes on the House that Ruth Built. Hope springs eternal, they say. We'll settle for less than eternity: just give us some reason to believe.
Be well. Stay safe. Stand defiant.
Laurie Garrett
