N002250
Tuesday, January 22, 2002 12:30 PM
Victims Compensation Fund
I believe the entire country feels an overwhelming sympathy for the families
of this tragedy and with good intentions rallied behind the fund raising
events to compensate them in some fashion. No one could have predicted the
money contributed would be such a huge sum or that it would turn into such a
nightmare for any organization to handle. So some amount of chaos and
confusion is understandable. However, as an observer from Oklahoma where
until 9-11 we were the site of the largest act of terror ( at a Federal
building no less) and not one family received a penny of monetary assistance
from any charity funds to ease the financial burden of losing an income
earner in a split second, I am wondering if some kind of monster has been
created. I have no argument about helping the families with funeral
expenses and other non-routine expenses that have occurred due to this
tragedy; or even paying routine living expenses until social security
benefits or life insurance compensation arrives. However, I resent any
attitude of "entitlement" to hundreds of thousands of dollars per family
because they have suffered a loss in a violent and very public fashion.
That a mother of three young children, who will very likely receive a large
life insurance reward and will receive social security death benefits on all
the children until they turn 18 should think that she should not have to go
to work at some point is expecting nothing short of "welfare" disguised as a
charity fund. People who are the victims of vicious acts of violence by
mentally ill people are not entitled to become instant millionaires simply
because they are also victims of world-wide sympathy. Every day there is a
child who has become motherless or fatherless due to a cruel twist of fate;
that child and surviving parent feels no less grief nor suffers any less
financial burden yet they have to find a way, often totally on their own, to
go on with life. Also, when the next terrorist act occurs, and if there are
hundreds of victims, will America think those families should receive a
monetary sympathy reward in equal value to the WTC fund? I don't mean to
sound callous to any of the families but there has to be an equitable, fair
way to help them without turning it into an arena of fighting over millions
of dollars not because they actually "need" it but simply because it is
there.
Thank you for allowing such input..........
Individual Comment
Seminole, Oklahoma