It seems hard to believe that the 6th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks has just passed. It continues to seem impossible that it could have been so long ago, until I remember that I was sitting in Mrs. Krahl's sixth grade homeroom at Chaminade Middle School on the morning of the attacks. And the reason that sixth grade seems like forever ago but September 11th does not is because the country is surely still dealing with the events on so many levels. It was never going to be something that was just going to go away. And yet, I read an article recently that makes it clear that there is one aspect of the event that the government would like to pretend has *poof* disappeared over these years. I am referring to the medical needs of the people exposed to the harmful dust in Lower Manhattan following 9/11.
Last friday, hundreds of union workers and elected officials attended a rally near ground zero. The rally was held in support of federal legislation that would force the federal government to assume more of the financial responsibility for the long-term treatment for the people that were exposed to the dust in Lower Manhattan during the cleanup of September 11th. On Tuesday of this week, which was also the official sixth anniversary of the attacks, the legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives. If it is passed, the federal government will finally be forced to collect the data that would be completely essential to a full understanding of the situation. They could not at this point have any idea of the extent of the ground-zero illnesses. So many people were exposed to asbestos and other contaminated dust. This does not just include the rescue workers, but also the office workers, students and even tourists who were in Lower Manhattan. This could finally provide compensation for these people.
Very significantly, Hilary Clinton took time away from her campaign to attend the rally. Mrs. Clinton proceeded to personally vow to make it her first priority to get each and every person the health care that they deserve. Clinton is thus taking a similar stand as Rudolph Giuliani, Mayor of New York City. I think it is certainly indicative that Hilary Clinton made a point to attend this rally. Her statement certainly seems to be a kind of territorial claim on what has previously seemed to be Rudolph Giuliani’s September 11th territory. My anger regarding the lack of attention that this issue has thus far been given goes far beyond my recognition of the fact that America is the wealthiest country in the world. For me, it is the realization of how many people willingingly risked their lives when our country was most in need. How would we have handled that terrible day without all of these individuals' support? It is unimaginable. It is disgraceful that this is how the government feels these people deserve to be repayed: by refusing to care about their medical needs. In fact, our government has tried to find ways of getting around meeting their needs. In an article published in the New York Times regarding this issue, the director of the World Trade Center monitoring and treatment program said that 4 in 10 of its patients have had breathing problems like asthma. Many are suffering mental health problems like post-traumatic stress disorder. With these kinds of statements, there should be no kind of denial of the problem anymore. It is real and horribly upsetting. It has been six years of suffering for these people. It is well time that our government examined this problem with the energy that it surely deserves.
4 comments:
I find the situation regarding the health care of citizens affected by the 9/11 attacks appalling. The government has acted hypocritically in initially emphasizing the rescue worker’s role as heroes and then not helping these individuals who they highlighted as heroes to shed light on the dark situation. The government continually brings up the 9/11 attacks to defend their policy in Iraq, yet they ignore the problems that 9/11 has brought directly to the United States. However, I do find Hilary Clinton’s attendance of the rally important. As one of the leading Democratic presidential candidates, Clinton has the power to expose the press as well as the public to this terrible situation.
First off, I mean no disrespect. I greatly honor all the heroes in the Septemeber 11th attack, both alive and dead. Their courage awes me and the country will forever remember their sacrifice. That being said, I find it appaling that the government has not reached out a hand to those who have physically, mentally, and emotionally damaged by 9-11. Granted, many prayer services and memorials have taken place worldwide to honor those who perished in the attacks, but these people who have suffered from the aftermath are forgotten. Something is not right about that picture. But more importantly, I don't understand why Clinton is just focusing on these suffering people. Why not the thousands of uninsured Americans dying from just the common cold? Before we start fixing specific medical cases, let's take care to make sure the entire country has the health care they need.
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It's kind of sad to think that even after so many years, the government has failed to step up and take care of its own. Here we are, lost in a longwinded and tedious situation overseas, and after the billions or trillions or whatever that have been spent, there has been little attention paid on the home front. I can think of a lot of places that money would have been better spent; one of them being on those suffereing from the aftermath of 9/11.
9/11 has been manipulated into being a symbol of global terrorism, which it might be, but we also seem to have forgotten how it shook the foundations of many individual lives and not just the security of our country. I think Sarah's right in saying that it is about time that our government give back to those who were literally hurt in 9/11.
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