W000523
Saturday, November 24, 2001 11:08 PM
response to notice for Public Comment
November 23, 2001
Widowed as a result of the 9/11 attacks
This letter is in response to "Justice Dept. Invites Public Comment" notice but it is also
written as a response to the many other letters I have read on this site. It seems to me that very few of the respondents have been directly affected in any way by this and more often than not the comments have been both hurtful and disheartening. To read responses that speak about how this should not be a "lottery windfall" or "who is to say they will not get all the money and then remarry" is heartless and cruel. And other responses are down right incorrect in terms of how much there is available out there from the charities - at least at this point although I have gotten some much needed assistance, but there is by no means an over abundance.
There are issues at hand about our family's and other families futures and many that I speak with are worried. Not only have I and others not gotten as much money as others out there seem to imagine there is, but the red tape to get anything is enormously complicated. I personally will be cut off of health insurance for me and my family after the birth of this (our third) child and I will need to find and incurr the expense of health insurance. In addition, my husband and I were shopping for a used mini van as we can not fit three car seats into the car we now use, but I do not know about fixing cars (my husband did) and I will not take on a used car. So now I will buy a new one for more money then we had anticpated spending. For those things my husband did around the house, such as the lawn work and fixing things and fixing-up most anything that needed to be attended to, I now have to hire others and pay for their services. My child care situation needs to be looked at. With two 2 and 1/2 year old twins and an infant soon to be born, I feel that I will need help in the house whether I stay home or not and if I go back to work (I am on a one year absence at this time since 9/11) I will certainly need a live in. To get a live in I need to renovate the basement so that this person has a room to stay in. And by the way, I work part time and was not eligible for health insurance nor did I make a substantial income; It was enough to pay for the child care, food bills, and special occasasion gifts. I didn't ask for this and I am terrified about these expenses, I have been at this point afraid to spend money except for what is absolutely necessary for bills. I should not have to worry about any of this now or ever.
My living expenses have already increased and the principle breadwinner in the family is gone. I and all other victims should be compensated enough so that we do not have to worry, so that we can give our children the life that we had intended to give them, and so that we can save for our children's futures.
There is no end to my sadness, no stopping of my heart from ripping apart. I look at our twin boys, 2 years old, and although they are my greatest source of comfort they also now fill me with a sadness that should not be there when you watch your children. As I look at them and smile I am also reminded how every minute their father is not here with them, with us. My husband adored our family life and he should be here to watch them grow, to roughhouse with his boys, to give them baths, and put them to bed. Their father should be here to share in their laughter and in their llives. I am now almost six months pregnant with our third son and this too has become what it should not be - instead of excitment for this baby I am saddened that this child will never know his father, that there will never be a picture of holding this baby. At least our twins have that. But this baby is due to arrive on March 19, only two days before birthday, and if by sheer will power I can hold on until the 21st, at least I will be able to tell him that his daddy gave him his birthday.
How can anyone put a price onto this loss? All of our losses? Money cannot make us whole, it cannot repair any of the families who are suffering and will continue to suffer always. Thus far the support and the generousity of the Amercian people has been overwhelming. We are all grateful and certainly the monies are and have been needed. But, there is responsibility for this and that is a different issue entirely. I am not alone in feeling that our government let us down. The INS, CIA, and FBI are hugely responsible for this event. The warnings about terrorist acts to come that were not heeded, allowing these men into our country (several of their visas had expired and two of the men were on a list of known terrorists) to commit this act -worse yet to be trained here to murder thousands, lists of known terrorists not being shared with the airlines. One screw up after another all leading to our people murdered. All leading to my husband's murder! Then the airlines having incompetent security, our military not able to reach the plane that struck the second building, people being told that WTC 2 was secure and not to evacuate - people were in fact sent back up after reaching the ground floor, sent back up into a 110 story building that had inadequate fire exits, stair cases, and sprinkler systems.
I and many others can go on and on about the incompetence and inadequacies in just about every aspect having to do with this disaster and it is for that reason that we are owed this BLOOD MONEY. Money that should be given to the victims without reducing anything due to life insurance payouts (that we paid for), charitable donations (which was due to an outpouring of support from the public), or any "death benefits" such as social security or workman's compensation. How dare you bail out the airlines and not give what is owed in damages that are insurmontable to families who lost everything truly wonderful and precious that they had. Nor should the government forget about those who survivied and suffered injuries or those who are truly suffering because of loss of their jobs.
There is nothing in the world that can repair this. There is nothing in the world that I want except to turn back time and make this all go away. But no one can do that. I used to play with my children, sing to them and now I can't find the energy or the joy to do those things with them. Who can pay them for that? Who can give enough money so that when my son gets on the phone pretending to talk to his daddy who is perpetually "at work", to whom he says repeatedly "daddy come home", that the pain of this can go away?
But I assure you, there is an angry, hurt public out there and we will not let this go easily. There are parties responsible and if I and many others are not satisfied with the response of our government, we will sue as we should have a right to. And please, for those of you who have commented saying that this is not a lottery, the victims should not get rich off of this, etc. - may I please assure you that we would like nothing more than to have our lives back the way it was. If my husband or any other victim died because of the incompetence of a doctor or because a car manufacturer never reported the tires they put onto to their cars were not safe - we would be able to sue for compensation and punitive damages. The government, who has already shown gross incompetence, does not want us to sue and that is the reason the government compensation needs to address our needs and our grief in the appropriate way.
Individual Comment
S.I. NY