THE FOLLOWING IS AN EDITORIAL.
From time to time, news occurs that demands more space than our weekly THE WEEK IN REVIEW feature allows coverage for, so we at The Free Choice E-zine started this feature to look at events in more detail when the situation warrants.
The following is just the latest article that bears scrutiny.
*THE FIRST RESPONDERS BILL
In the legislature that provides additional health care coverage for those who either participated in rescue efforts or actually lived and/or worked at Ground Zero, as the area of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 is known as in the United States; Florida Congressional Representative Cliff Stearns (Republican) added a provision that potential claimants are not only required to give proof of identity, but also must be able to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they themselves are not terrorists!
THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE RESPONDS:
We can understand the former part of that provision: proof of identity, so false claims cannot be filed, and have no problem with that.
The latter, requiring proof of not being a terrorist, we have mixed feelings about.
While Homeland Security is a valid and important concern to America or any country, it is highly improbable that any terrorists were actually at Ground Zero that fateful day, and the background checks on claimants just slows down providing aid and could be seen by some as an insult to those who strove to help during that fateful event and in the days that followed.
The rescue workers, along with the innocent victims and bystanders, were exposed to a lot of materials that they should not have been (like fuel oil and asbestos), let alone the unimaginable trauma of such an event to begin with.
Hopefully things can be worked out to everyone's satisfaction and those in need now get the help they deserve.
The above is an editorial, written in response to an article by Liz Goodwin posted here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110422/us_yblog_thelookout/9-11-first-responders-to-be-checked-on-fbi-terror-list
From time to time, news occurs that demands more space than our weekly THE WEEK IN REVIEW feature allows coverage for, so we at The Free Choice E-zine started this feature to look at events in more detail when the situation warrants.
The following is just the latest article that bears scrutiny.
*THE FIRST RESPONDERS BILL
In the legislature that provides additional health care coverage for those who either participated in rescue efforts or actually lived and/or worked at Ground Zero, as the area of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 is known as in the United States; Florida Congressional Representative Cliff Stearns (Republican) added a provision that potential claimants are not only required to give proof of identity, but also must be able to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they themselves are not terrorists!
THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE RESPONDS:
We can understand the former part of that provision: proof of identity, so false claims cannot be filed, and have no problem with that.
The latter, requiring proof of not being a terrorist, we have mixed feelings about.
While Homeland Security is a valid and important concern to America or any country, it is highly improbable that any terrorists were actually at Ground Zero that fateful day, and the background checks on claimants just slows down providing aid and could be seen by some as an insult to those who strove to help during that fateful event and in the days that followed.
The rescue workers, along with the innocent victims and bystanders, were exposed to a lot of materials that they should not have been (like fuel oil and asbestos), let alone the unimaginable trauma of such an event to begin with.
Hopefully things can be worked out to everyone's satisfaction and those in need now get the help they deserve.
The above is an editorial, written in response to an article by Liz Goodwin posted here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110422/us_yblog_thelookout/9-11-first-responders-to-be-checked-on-fbi-terror-list
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