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Time to reopen the lady's crown

Published June 28, 2007 at midnight

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After 9/11, the National Park Service shut down the Statue of Liberty for security improvements. The pedestal reopened to the public three years later, but the crown never did.

Congress, especially the New Yorkers, didn't fully approve. Last year, lawmakers directed the Park Service to open the crown to visitors again, safety permitting. The Park Service said safety did not.

Congress is trying again this year. By voice vote, the House approved an amendment again urging the Park Service to open the crown and providing $1 million to ensure that, this time, safety did permit.

The Park Service's caution is understandable. The Statue of Liberty may be the best-known symbol both of this country and what it stands for. Even more than the Twin Towers were, the statue is a defining fixture of the New York skyline.

But the truth is, Lady Liberty's crown, although most assuredly not the statue itself, is one of America's most overrated tourist destinations. Once in the crown, due to the crush of oncoming climbers, there is time for only a quick glimpse of New York Harbor through small, smeared windows. And evacuating a stricken visitor from the upper reaches of the staircase is a tricky undertaking for the rangers.

But barring the crown to willing visitors who clearly understand the slight risk involved is hardly the spirit that won a New World. It's a climb every capable American should make. Once.