Remembering 911
Today marks the sixth anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. We mourn those who perished, and we honor the courageous first responders who gave their lives as they tried to save others. With the government not responding to urgent request for health care benefits, will our heroes be ready to respond should another catastrophe happen?
On Sept. 11, 2001, thousands of workers rushed into lower Manhattan while everyone else was rushing out. They spent day and night on what became known as the “pile,” searching for survivors and, later, remains in the worst of conditions. The cruel irony is that thousands of them are now getting sick. And as Katie Couric first reported last year, a growing number of studies confirm they’re getting sick because of all the time they spent breathing the dust at ground zero.
In all there were about 40,000 people who worked on the pile – a collection of firefighters, policemen, construction and utility workers. Screenings conducted by Mount Sinai Medical Center show that respiratory problems and mental health difficulties are widespread among rescue and recovery workers who worked at the World Trade Center in the days following the Sept. 11 attacks.
We as American need to get on the bandwagon and contact our state representatives. Something needs to be done concerning health care issues for our first responders. We want them to get the same benefits that family members of victims of 911 got. They risked their lives to help their fellow man and are now suffering as well.
Let us not close our eyes to this tragedy that is taking place. For surely we will need them again.
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