CHANGE MY LOCATION
D.C. developer to build ‘invincibility’ monument
SEE HOW THIS STORY DEVELOPED
Related Topics: WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - A well-established local real estate developer will present his plans today for a “Tower of Invincibility” monument that he plans to build on a publicly chosen site in the D.C. area.
Jeffrey S. Abramson, a partner in the Bethesda-based Towers Cos., said he plans to build a 12-story, 20,000-square-foot marble monument that will house multimedia exhibits teaching visitors “technologies of consciousness” that include Transcendental Meditation, a mental technique that involves silently repeating a mantra for 20 minutes twice a day.
“It will be unlike any other monument ever built in Washington,” Abramson told The Examiner. “It will represent scientific principles and universal knowledge as to how to secure America’s freedom, peace and sovereignty.”
Transcendental Meditation derives from the Indian Vedic tradition and has been the subject of National Institutes of Health-funded studies examining the health effects of meditation.
“I want to build this enduring symbol [showing] that we can prevent war,” Abramson said.
Abramson is soliciting suggestions from the public for the site of the monument and said the two most popular suggestions e-mailed to his Web site so far are the National Mall and the Pentagon.
Building on either of those spots would require approval by the federal government.
“We’ll do whatever is going to be easy and fast,” Abramson said, adding that he expects to select a site within a few weeks.
The project will be funded by donations, he said, or by his own money if donations don’t meet expectations.
Others are proposing to build Towers of Invincibility in Germany, France and New Zealand, according to Abramson.
“Everywhere it’s coming up to be a fashionable political feature,” he said.
tluntz@dcexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
6:28 PM MST on Mon., Oct. 8, 2007 re: "D.C. developer to build ‘invincibility’ monument"
Report as inappropriate
4:29 PM MST on Sat., Oct. 6, 2007
re: "D.C. developer to build ‘invincibility’ monument"
Report as inappropriate
Examiner Reader said:
A huge and beautiful reminder to show us "that we (all the people of the world) can prevent war" is an inspiring and aspiring notion. We talk of peace but go to war only when, over the peace table, differences are settled and tensions subside do we eventually start to repair our tarnished relations within our human species. Expenses not spent on war but to promote peace, without war, would be well spent and enrich all economies and relations between nations.
144 agree | 117 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Sounds interesting and original. Maybe we need a monument whose purpose is only to inspire and elevate our citizens and all the visitors to our country. Although we verbalize that, as a nation, we are for peace - almost all of our monuments commemorate war, and our dear departed who died in war. We have fought wars for peace. I am not against memorials to those who died in the service of their country; far from it. However in this new century, we certainly need something to inspire us all to think only of peace and the consequences of peace: peace in the world and peace in ourselves, positivity, harmony and freedom between individuals and nations. THAT would inspire us all to live up to our professed ideals.
143 agree | 124 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree