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Should the 9/11 Museum Sell Gifts?

Should the 9/11 Museum Sell Gifts?

  • Yes

    Votes: 21 75.0%

  • No

    Votes: 7 25.0%
  • Total voters
    28
Auschwitz museum sells memorabilia, which is kind of creepy....but the $ go for the concept of "lest we forget" and battling holocaust deniers etc. I'm OK with that. When I was there the locals said the museum and state run site were well financed by voluntary visitor donations. However, that was in the late 80's
 
Museums do rely on patrons and donations and grants, but the initiatives need not be tacky. The museum gift shops I've visited haven't been kitschy at all. And this museum is special because of the unidentified remains. Hallowed ground.
 
Jetboogieman said:
If the items are kept respectful and the proceeds go towards the maintaining of the museum (it's not cheap kids) then I'm relatively ok with it.

The kind of items available matter more than the existence of the gifts.

If you're doing an exploded tower snow globe then we have trouble.
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Bad, but pretty funny.

I bet there's something like that on the internet somewhere.
 
Hatuey said:
... Tell us what you really think though. :roll:
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It's amazing what you can think of posting after a few beers in the Orient and thinking you are being watched night and day anyhow. *wink*
 
AJiveMan said:
IMO, it's disrespectful to sell knick knacks at any memorial.

Why not set up concession stands at the Vietnam Veterans memorial if they're going to do that?
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Because it requires very little maintenance, receives donations from visitors and organizations, and it has volunteers who mostly care for it and assist visitors?
 
Lursa said:
Because it requires very little maintenance, receives donations from visitors and organizations, and it has volunteers who mostly care for it and assist visitors?
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I'm on the fence about that. I still believe it's disrespectful to the deceased and their families.

I don't buy burgers and milk shakes or stuffed toys at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery when I visit my parents grave site to pay my respects.
 
Fearandloathing said:
Auschwitz museum sells memorabilia, which is kind of creepy....but the $ go for the concept of "lest we forget" and battling holocaust deniers etc. I'm OK with that. When I was there the locals said the museum and state run site were well financed by voluntary visitor donations. However, that was in the late 80's
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Why is it creepy, these places have to pay their own way. How else do you suggest they make money to pay their bills?
 
AJiveMan said:
I'm on the fence about that. I still believe it's disrespectful to the deceased and their families.

I don't buy burgers and milk shakes or stuffed toys at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery when I visit my parents grave site to pay my respects.
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I let my family know that if I am ever lost in such a situation, or in a giant mud slide like just happened near here, that life should go on all around. No shrine, no making the grounds 'hallowed' and off limits. Let it go back to nature, let people build on it, whatever. I'm not there, it's just empty remains.

At the mud slide site, some people now dont want the highway rebuilt because there may be remains of people there (only one has not been recovered but there are still plenty of 'remains' in there.) If it was 'me' in that mud, or my family, I'd say plow thru it and go on. There are people on the other side of that slide that have to an extra 80 miles out of their way to get to work now. Businesses that are struggling. Etc. (Actually they have opened up a road now but it's only available for locals and one way so they need to go thru with escorts.)

You dont force people to 'remember' or solemnize or respect a place or event. (Not that you suggested that)
 
Lursa said:
I let my family know that if I am ever lost in such a situation, or in a giant mud slide like just happened near here, that life should go on all around. No shrine, no making the grounds 'hallowed' and off limits. Let it go back to nature, let people build on it, whatever. I'm not there, it's just empty remains.

At the mud slide site, some people now dont want the highway rebuilt because there may be remains of people there (only one has not been recovered but there are still plenty of 'remains' in there.) If it was 'me' in that mud, or my family, I'd say plow thru it and go on. There are people on the other side of that slide that have to an extra 80 miles out of their way to get to work now. Businesses that are struggling. Etc. (Actually they have opened up a road now but it's only available for locals and one way so they need to go thru with escorts.)

You dont force people to 'remember' or solemnize or respect a place or event. (Not that you suggested that)
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I'm soo sorry. I've always shown respect for the deceased, it's just me I guess. Selling stuff at a memorial just seems kind of creepy to me.
 
AJiveMan said:
I'm soo sorry. I've always shown respect for the deceased, it's just me I guess. Selling stuff at a memorial just seems kind of creepy to me.
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Why? Is selling stuff in a museum creepy? They typically have dead bodies hanging around too.
 
Cephus said:
Why? Is selling stuff in a museum creepy? They typically have dead bodies hanging around too.
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As far as I'm concerned, the 9/11 memorial museum is hallowed ground, people died there, and are still possibly buried there, in the ground, in small pieces or hauled away in truckloads of materials. Not all of the 9/11 victims from the twin towers were accounted for, even though sifting through debris could not find or identify all the victims lost.
 
AJiveMan said:
As far as I'm concerned, the 9/11 memorial museum is hallowed ground, people died there, and are still possibly buried there, in the ground, in small pieces or hauled away in truckloads of materials. Not all of the 9/11 victims from the twin towers were accounted for, even though sifting through debris could not find or identify all the victims lost.
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So what? It's not hallowed ground, that's absurd. It's a place where an attack took place. People need to grow up and get over it.
 
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AJiveMan said:
As far as I'm concerned, the 9/11 memorial museum is hallowed ground, people died there, and are still possibly buried there, in the ground, in small pieces or hauled away in truckloads of materials. Not all of the 9/11 victims from the twin towers were accounted for, even though sifting through debris could not find or identify all the victims lost.
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In all likelihood, given the shear number of people who have lived on this planet, it is almost certain that most places have had someone die there, including many museums with gift shops.
 
AJiveMan said:
I'm soo sorry. I've always shown respect for the deceased, it's just me I guess. Selling stuff at a memorial just seems kind of creepy to me.
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To me, properly utilizing land or sites is not disrespectful.

And supporting memorials, museums (places of learning), etc with sales doesnt seem disrespectful either altho I can definitely imagine some things that are disrespectful or in bad taste.
 
Cephus said:
So what? It's not hallowed ground, that's absurd. It's a place where an attack took place. People need to grow up and get over it.
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Well, it is hallowed ground, at least that's the belief of most people (just my opinion).

However my own personal desires, as I wrote to AJiveMan would be for life to go on and use the land....out in nature or in a city, etc...normally again. Not make it exclusive, not set aside, etc.
 
Lursa said:
Well, it is hallowed ground, at least that's the belief of most people (just my opinion).

However my own personal desires, as I wrote to AJiveMan would be for life to go on and use the land....out in nature or in a city, etc...normally again. Not make it exclusive, not set aside, etc.
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I agree with you, I think having a big memorial on the site is a waste of space. If the whole point was that the U.S. move on from the attack, taking valuable land in the middle of a major city and putting a big memorial on the site, that just shows we're still bothered by it. The terrorists win. We could have put a plaque on the pavement regarding the event and rebuilt another skyscraper.
 
Remembering and honoring is, I think, very important to New Yorkers.

This isn't only a museum; it's a memorial. And there are tasteful, dignified ways to solicit the funds required to maintain and sustain it without resorting to keychains and stuffed animals, etc.
 
It costs the museum something to operate and have memorabilia produced. I'm fine with it. My bigger issue would be making admission to the museum itself cost prohibitive for people on tight budgets to attend. The museums I like the best are like libraries, free admission. Charging for memorabilia and lunch at the museum cafe is perfectly fine IMHO.
 
I love the 9/11 coffee mugs, plates etc. Why would you want to be reminded of that in the AM when you’re making yourself a brew?
 
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