Words Worth Hearing

Facing protest and condemnation, WordsWorth Books chose to cancel last Thursday’s scheduled appearance by William Langewiesche, author of a controversial new book on rescue and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks in New York. WordsWorth’s manager, Sanj Kharbanda, cited security concerns in explaining the cancellation; he said he feared that the protest planned by firefighters would require a greater police presence than could be arranged on short notice.

It is understandable that WordsWorth should postpone an event where adequate security is unavailable. When proper arrangements can be made, however, Langewiesche’s talk should be rescheduled; he should not be silenced by threat of protest.

Langewiesche’s book, American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center met with critical acclaim, but has angered many by portraying some firefighters in an uncomplimentary light. Among other criticisms, Langewiesche alleges that some firefighters engaged in looting while the first of the Twin Towers burned. The outraged reaction of firefighters and others, although understandable, seems to be primarily a knee-jerk attempt to maintain the status of firefighters as transcendent heroes, even in the face of evidence that indicates some of them to be less than perfect.

Firefighters and other public servants performed heroic acts on Sept. 11; recognizing and honoring these efforts, however, does not preclude acknowledging some weaknesses or mistakes. Langewiesche certainly does not view the Sept. 11 rescue efforts through rose-colored lenses, nor should he; many find his evidence and research to be compelling, including the New York Times’ book reviewer Jeffrey Goldberg, who calls Langewiesche’s work, “truth unclouded by sentiment.”

There is certainly room to quibble over some of Langewiesche’s interpretations, as Rhonda Roland Shearer, the widow of the late Agassiz Professor of Zoology Stephen Jay Gould, has attempted, with some success. While she has provided alternative interpretations of the facts, she has not proven Langewiesche wrong on his most controversial findings, including the case of alleged looting.

Simply dismissing Langewiesche’s work as lies and labeling him a “miscreant,” as the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts union has done, is more indicative of unwillingness to grapple with unpleasant truths than a carefully considered debunking of Langewiesche’s book. If firefighters, or anyone else, wish to contest Langewiesche’s findings, they would be much better served by presenting counter-arguments backed with evidence rather than resorting to name-calling.

Langewiesche and his publishers continue to stand confidently behind his work, saying that the major components of his story were verified independently by multiple eyewitnesses. Langewiesche has something valuable to say to those who will listen, and we look forward to him speaking at WordsWorth Books in the very near future.