I remember when I was 1989, I came to NYC with my parents and there were only a few memories I remember still to this day. One was driving from the airport through Harlem to my great grandparents house in Jersey and my parents yelling at me to keep my head in the window of the taxi, and not to bother the dealers on the street corners (they actually said don’t look at them). The other was the walk up the Statue of Liberty to the crown, and looking out over the rivers to Manhattan just before sun down. It was one of the most beautiful sites I still remember to this day.
After 9/11, the “smart” people of President George W. Bush’s Department of the Interior, declared under the guise of the fire, building and safety codes the narrow, 12-story spiral staircase with a low guardrail walk up to the crown off limits mostly for fear of more terrorists looking to deface, blow up or desecrate this national symbol.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar formally announced a reversal of this decision at a news conference this week on Ellis Island. “On July 4, we are giving America a special gift,†Mr. Salazar said. They are re-opening up the crown.
No more than 10 people will be allowed in the crown at a time, he said, and officials anticipate that will allow for 30 visitors an hour. He estimated that 50,000 people would be able to visit the crown in the first year and that the number would be increased later to 100,000 a year.
We can all thank Representative Anthony D. Weiner, a Queens Democrat who has been one of the most vocal proponents of giving the public back access to the crown.
In January of this year, Mr. Salazar climbed the 146 steps to the crown himself, joined by Mr. Weiner, Representative Albio Sires of New Jersey and Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey. When Mr. Salazar came down, he said of the experience: “One word: Awesome.â€