Kristen Breitweiser

As a 9/11 widow whose husband was murdered in the South Tower, I take issue with the suggestion that the “MAJORITY” of 9/11 families support these petitions. Based on what evidence? Who surveyed us? I certainly wasn't asked, and I do not support turning over control of the World Trade Center Memorial and Museum to the federal government. I respect the firefighters, survivors, and families who feel differently, but no individual or group should presume to speak for all of us. We have different experiences, opinions, and concerns, and every family's voice deserves respect. My greatest concern is preserving the truth of September 11. Twenty-five years later, many of us are still fighting for transparency, accountability, and justice. Why would I want to give the federal government greater authority over how that history is told when so many questions about its own failures remain unanswered? Who would control the exhibits, historical records, and narrative? What safeguards would prevent future administrations from politicizing or sanitizing that history? The Memorial and Museum already have access to federal funding programs, and the Pentagon Memorial recently received National Park Service affiliation without surrendering day-to-day control. There are ways to protect and fund Ground Zero without handing over its management. As for the annual commemoration, I have always believed that September 11 should be about the victims and their families, not politicians or political agendas. I appreciate anyone who genuinely wants to honor our loved ones, but please don't confuse a petition or a handful of interviews with the collective voice of thousands of grieving families. I have never forgotten September 11. I live with its consequences every single day. And Never Forget means protecting the entire truth, not surrendering control over who gets to tell it.