P000137
Friday, January 25, 2002 5:17 PM
comment
Hello,
I live four blocks from Ground Zero and I am still working on dealing with
the trauma of watching the attack and seeing the towers fall. It was the
first time in my life I saw people die in front of my eyes. I am fortunate in
that I have help (non financial) and am here to move on with my life.
I have seen the representatives of the advocacy groups and read the press. I
find it disturbing to see how this has become a political platform for
opportunists. The world contributed to help. An unprecedented amount of money
was raised. Mind boggling in fact. The families should get help yet the
perspective seems to be out of control. Survivors need to accept that that is
what they are. Their life did not end on Sept. 11 although it did for someone
they loved. Had the loved one died in any other tragic way or other form of
violence survivors would be in the position of benefiting from what they took
care of in the event of a death. They would benefit from what they took
responsibility for like life insurance and employer compensation packages.
Anything above and beyond that is a gift. The ingratitude is stunning. The
following was in the press:
's husband was earning $96,000 a year as an insurance executive
when he was killed at the World Trade Center. She has figured that under the
fund she would be entitled to about $1.1 million. But her husband's life
insurance and a supplemental policy from his employer total $1.4 million, so
she fears she will get nothing from the government.
The help is needed for the non-executive victims. The ones who don't have
mega life insurance and supplemental packages that include loss of life
compensation. will do just fine with her 1.4 million. Well
invested she should net the same income. The janitors wife will need a little
help and should get it.
Do the families think that people and specifically me felt heartsick at the
financial loss of those who would receive 1.4 million from their own
resources? Do they believe that the money that poured in from across the
globe was meant to provide the lap of luxury beyond what they had before Sept
11? I don't think we were thinking about executives with healthy compensation
and insurance. I think we were all picking up our checkbooks for the
minimally insured and lower income families with children to feed, a mortgage
to pay and no provider. Yes, there are those in more need than others. I
don't believe this should be an equal opportunity fund.
How much money do you think the fund would have collected if the lead in to
asking for donations was:
Please help. A victims family will be left with only 1.4 million from
insurence and supplemental policies for their financial survival so every
contribution no matter how small is desperately needed.
You can't put a dollar value on this kind of loss. Reality creeps in and so
apparently does greed. I am ashamed that the world will see just how greedy
the American culture is. Isn't that what our attackers accused us of? Half
the worlds population lives on less than 2 dollars a day! I feel traumatized
again by this uncharitable, selfish, self centered response by certain
families of victims and political opportunists.
The world did an enormous big hearted thing. It is time for the families of
victims to do likewise. If not, the damage done to charitable organizations
will be devastating. You need to show the good that the fund is doing. Get
spokespeople who have been helped and appreciate what they have received.
Individual Comment