"Moslem Extremists" Memorial Divides Kent

A father wants 9/11 memorial to say his son was "Murdered by Moslem extremists"

By JOE PIRANEO

Updated 1:57 AM EST, Thu, Nov 5, 2009

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A battle is brewing in Kent over whether a Sept. 11 memorial will say a fallen resident was "Murdered by Moslem extremists," and Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly is getting involved.

Peter Gadiel lost his son James when planes struck the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. He has asked for a memorial planned in the town to be inscribed with the phrase that has divided the town and gotten national attention, the Waterbury Republican-American reports.

Kent resident Catherine Posselt Bachrach led a citizens' appeal to reject the wording, the Republican-American reports, and town officials agreed with her.

First Selectman Ruth Epstein told the the Torrington Register Citizen that the inscription would be racially insensitive and not appropriate for a monument paid for with taxpayer dollars.

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“I feel it was such a catastrophic episode for the United States, and we lost one of our own, that it is a good idea to memorialize James. But we could not condone that wording for anything on public land,” she told the Register Citizen.

O'Reilly got wind of the debate and openly supported Gadiel’s campaign to inscribe it that way, the Republican-American reports.

So, while he was on the air, O’Reilly criticized the town for being overly concerned about political correctness and he threatened to bring his show to Kent to support of Gadiel’s request if the town would not submit, the Register Citizen reports.

Soon, the Kent Town Hall was flooded with at least 150 e-mails and phone calls from people across the country, overwhelmingly in support of Gadiel.

Here is the inscription that Peter Gadiel told the Republican American he wants on the memorial to his son:

James Gadiel
February 3, 1978
A gentleman and a gentle man
Lifelong resident of Kent
Murdered by Moslem extremists
September 11, 2001

James Gadiel worked as an assistant trader at Cantor Fitzgerald on the 103rd floor of the North Tower when the World Trade Center was attacked, the Litchfield County Times reported. He was 23.

First Published: Nov 3, 2009 8:15 AM EST

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{"totSize":5,"payload_type":"json","status":"1","results":[{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"396499_68839647","adminTags":null,"views":918,"createdBy":12199211,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"\"Murdered by Moslem Extremists\" Memorial Divides Kent","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2632916,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"4 Nov 2009 10:46:12 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"crimeslayer","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1180193","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"I think You spelled muslim wrong?"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"396499_68839647","adminTags":null,"views":918,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"\"Murdered by Moslem Extremists\" Memorial Divides Kent","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2632916,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"5 Nov 2009 01:04:00 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1186198","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"I think it is appalling, that the town is stepping in to say that what he wishes to express on that plaque is not "P.C." thats what happened like it or not who the hell is it offending?!! He lost his son nobody should be able to say what he puts on that plaque?!!!!"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"396499_68839647","adminTags":null,"views":918,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"\"Murdered by Moslem Extremists\" Memorial Divides Kent","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2632916,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"5 Nov 2009 06:18:48 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1187120","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"A good number of Americans believe Muslems had absolutely nothing to do with 911. We watched three buildings pancake from thermite charges, carefully prepared by NeoCon extremeists within our government. Heroic NYC firefighters watched, heard and felt the charges go off. They dutifully described their knowledge in the public record. Yes, extremists were to blame for the atrocity, but look to Mr. Cheney and his wealthy minions..."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"396499_68839647","adminTags":null,"views":918,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"\"Murdered by Moslem Extremists\" Memorial Divides Kent","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2632916,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"5 Nov 2009 06:39:47 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1187140","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Oh man, seriously? Flip this for a moment and consider for a moment if the family of that doctor in Kansas who was killed for performing abortions (or rather, ANY african-american killed in the south by a white male) requested that a PUBLICLY FUNDED memorial be put up that read: "Murdered by Christian extremists". Who would be up in arms about that? I can probably say for certain that Bill O'Reily would call it an attack on our nation, on our faith, and that if somebody didn't do something about it then they just hate our country. Tell me where I'm wrong here. What if a plaque read "Christian extremists"?<br /><br />I love Jesus, guns, and the U.S.A!"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"396499_68839647","adminTags":null,"views":918,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"\"Murdered by Moslem Extremists\" Memorial Divides Kent","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2632916,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"5 Nov 2009 07:23:20 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1187185","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"If the father wishes to make a particular point, he can do so, on his own land and with his own money. Also,unless James Gadiel was commuting from Kent to his place of employment in the WTC, then "Lifelong resident of Kent" is additional hyperbole. Let him rest with dignity and honor; if you call him a gentle man, don't make him a symbol of conflict."}],"error":"","totPages":1}