The symbolic worth of this island triad is greater than the sum of its parts. Each islet exemplifies its own unique facet of history but together they define the juridical and cultural construct to which American freedom refers.

Consequently, this pictogram composes America’s fundamental conceptions—Tolerance, Liberty and Welcome—into a National Heritage Triangle of primary symbols as portrayed by Governors Island, Liberty Island and Ellis Island. As the nation's elemental ideals, they constitute collectively the notion of American freedom.

New York State officially recognized Governors Island as its birthplace in the year 1624 on May 30, 2002. The legal-cultural code of religious tolerance (“toleration”) as the basis for ethnic diversity was delivered to Governors Island in that 1624 year. The planting of this historic precept in the concept of American freedom occurred with the founding of the provincial entity of New Netherland (now the New York Tri-State region) as a North American extension of the Dutch Republic. Hence, the Island is the locus of a momentous message that lies at the root of New York’s traditions as well as American pluralism and liberty.

As of 1998, the non-profit Tolerance Park Foundation has been seeking political (1) recognition of Governors Island as one of the three principal seventeenth-century European landing places on North America’s east coast; (2) appreciation of the Island’s national significance as the place on which the New World’s first lawful expression of religious tolerance took place in 1624; (3) acknowledgment of the Island as the authentic wellspring of the NY Tri-State region’s unique legal-cultural condition of toleration as an individual right; and, (4) support for visualizing the Island’s symbolic worth to humanity and historic message of tolerance vital to moral progress.

Political acceptance of this harbor tableau of symbols would restore, protect and preserve Governors Island’s vital message of tolerance as America's ultimate virtue for the benefit of future generations. Additionally, the exceptional universal value of the island’s cultural and national heritage could qualify it potentially as a World Heritage Site.

New York State’s cultural patrimony of diversity through toleration—its identity and legacy to the nation—was vital in the development of American freedom as we know it today. As a moral dynamic, tolerance is its lifeblood. As defender and definer of liberty, the ethical force of tolerance, when visualized, extols America’s ultimate virtue and sustains it for the future in an ever-changing society.

Governors Island's transformation into America's virtuous symbol of tolerance is to be accomplished through the creation of a 50-acre living museum-park (30% of the island)—to be known as the Tolerance Park—with, at its center, a 151 ft (46 m) high Tolerance Monument as the universal embodiment of the dynamic force of tolerance in American freedom.

 

Similarly, Bedloe Island—where one could reside free from prosecution in the New York Tri-State region of the 17th-century—was transformed into the American symbol of Freedom by the French gift of the Statue of Liberty while Ellis Island was transformed into the symbol of Welcome through the creation of the American Immigration Museum.

 

Freedom has no meaning in an intolerant (disrespecting, discriminatory) society as demonstrated by the horrific 9/11/2001 assault which was perpetrated in the name of religion. This shameless act of global intolerance was an attempt to set up the Judeo-Christian culture against the Islamic culture on a worldwide scale. Not acting upon recognized intolerance affirms that indifference, complacency, laxity and apathy are the friends of iniquitous bigotry (as, for instance, in Europe in the 1930's and in America from 1941-46).

 

As a two-way street, tolerance makes specific demands. It entails reciprocity and reciprocal respect rather than unilateral accommodation and in defining American freedom, it is a prerequisite for sustainable liberty. Indeed, the limits of tolerance set the standards of liberty and societal freedom itself.

 

Governors Island, when so acknowledged by Governor David A. Paterson and the State Legislature, will instill confidence in the dependable and binding power of tolerance and conciliation as indispensable to the concept of American freedom. Hence, the Legislative Resolutions of May 2002 alone will not suffice in realizing this National Symbol and future World Heritage Site through the living museum park-to-tolerance. Only unanimous acceptance of a two-house bill in Albany will accomplish that.

 

They are geographically perfectly aligned in a triangle and thus compose and portray a new and omnipresent American icon: The National Heritage Triangle. Please address any communications to President@TolerancePark.org.

 

 

Mailing address: The Tolerance Park Foundation, 139 East 79th Street, 15th floor, New York, NY 10075, U.S.A..