An architect from Pennsylvania emails:

I appreciate your brief commentary on the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial. Light Benches? They look like diving boards or playground equipment. As an architect, I am stunned by two things. First, that my colleagues’ best efforts to memorialize the tragic death of their fellow citizens boils down to one notion: empty furniture. It’s insulting, not only to the victims and their families, but to everyone of the thousands of people who will visit the memorial. Second, like the Oklahoma City memorial, I am aghast at the selection committees that refuse to grasp the civic beauty inherent in a well executed memorial. It’s a shame. Not that I’m looking for far out symbolism or abstraction, but some more rooted in tradition…some thing more inspiring than benches.