Originally posted by Krusher
Absolutly not, they (the families) do not own the event, not to mention several have stated their objections already.
Look the bottom line is this should not be controversial at all. if it is, it needs to be changed.
From the link above:
As the black cloak that had hidden the winner was removed, a collective gasp came from those gathered, who then rose to their feet to applaud.
In the front row, three family members --a woman who lost her mother, a woman who lost her husband and a woman who lost her brother -- leaned into each other, in a show of love and support.
"It's powerful but understated," said Kiki Homer, whose brother, LeRoy W. Homer Jr., was co-pilot on the plane that crashed after passengers rebelled against terrorist hijackers. "It's beautifully simple.
"My breath is taken away."
Esther Heymann, whose daughter, Elizabeth Wainio, died in the crash, agreed.
"The understatement speaks to the profoundness of what occurred here," she said.
According to jurors who chose the winner, it offers "tranquility, beauty and silence. It will be a place for everyone who visits to feel the spirits of the 40 heroes in the whisper of the trees and honor their unselfish sacrifice of their lives to preserve the lives of countless many."