Almost a month ago, the World Trade Center was destroyed by vicious acts of terrorism. The world watched in horror as two planes deliberately crashed into the magnificent towers, leveling them and leaving behind rubble and anguish. Many Americans are now contemplating the fate of the site of the World Trade Center, once clean-up measures are complete. Rebuilding on the site is the predominant opinion and yet there are those that feel as if rebuilding is a foolish move inviting future acts of vengeance and anger.

To completely understand what America should do with the World Trade Center site, perhaps it is best to relate to a less harmful situation. A child is grieving the loss of a pet, let us say a dog. To ease their child’s pain and sadness, the parents get him the same breed of dog. Although a seemingly innocent and wholly well-intending gesture, the child is now plagued with guilt and further sorrow. The reason is because this child is forced to look at this replacement and remember the pain of losing his first dog. The child had a deeply personal and special relationship with the first animal, and the “look-alike” becomes a depressing realization of what the child has suffered emotionally.

Most everything in this world has a life cycle, even inanimate objects. Among the less obvious lives would be that of a building, from the smallest family home to the grandest, most powerful skyscraper. Just as a child would miss a puppy; those who live in New York City, worked in the World Trade Center or saw it as a symbol of prosperity will mourn the death of the building, on top of the heartache over the lost lives in the disaster.

Rebuilding the World Trade Center, although certainly a strong message to the terrorists who destroyed it, would serve as a painful reminder to friends and family of those lost in the tragedy. Instead, it would be appropriate to make the site into a cultural center. That would provide the truest, most peaceful counterattack to those men of hate and brutality that sought to destroy the building, and even more significantly, the American ideal of democracy and diversity.

The World Trade Center and many men and women within those walls, were destroyed by hate, thus the site should be redesigned as a site of unity and love. A cultural center should be erected, devoted to welcoming people of all backgrounds, for the only true fight against ignorance and hatred is education.

The World Cultural Center would be one of art, music and, above all, teaching and knowledge and a truly amazing tribute to the many men and women of all different cultures who perished in this catastrophe.

In the spirit of a peaceful nation, building such a site would pay homage to those souls tragically lost and be the ultimate defensive move toward America’s enemies with their hate and cruelty.

So, I say do not rebuild the same structure, but start anew, just as our nation must do.

-The writer is a senior majoring in psychology and fine arts.