Tomorrow is the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and it will most likely dominate the news cycle, as it tends to do. 9/11 was an overwhelming media event, from the 24 hour coverage to the live broadcasts of the day’s horrible images. The inconceivable actions of the day left many Americans feeling hopeless and at a loss for what to do next. Many channeled that energy into good deeds. It’s a National Day of Service and the acts of kindness in the days after the attacks, particularly in Manhattan and in Gander, Newfoundland, helped bring light to a dark place. We remember, but we continue to move forward.
I’m not setting out to write another cliche 9/11 article about “where I was” or some fresh story that will inspire us in the days to come. I’m putting out a call to action. While 9/11 has faded into the backgrounds of many lives, there are some who continue to live with the effects of that day and its aftermath even 14 years later. These are the men and women who rushed to the towers after the collapse and attempted to find survivors, and later, to find remains in order to bring closure to families. They are the firefighters and police officers who survived the collapse and went back into the rubble to find their fallen brothers and sisters. Many spent months day in and day out searching for personal effects and remains, and as a result, they will suffer physical effects of their sacrificial acts.
The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Re-authorization Act (previously known as the Zadroga Act) is currently grinding its way through the United States Congress as H.B. 1786. Five years ago, the Zadroga Act provided funds, support, and research to assist those who were suffering from 9/11-related health issues. Cancer, respiratory distress, and other chronic illnesses plague those who spent time near the towers after their collapse, potentially from the toxic dust that was comprised of building materials and other chemicals. The bill would permanently refund the program to help victims and research their conditions so we can better catalog the effects of the attacks. Its primary sponsors are a bi-partisan team from New York (Reps. Maloney and King, Sens. Gillibrand and Schumer), but it has numerous co-sponsors in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle. This bill seems like a no-brainer, especially given all the talk that crops up around this time about remembering 9/11 and honoring its victims and heroes. However, it has stalled.
The primary (and only understandable) reason for opposition is the money issue. It’s an expensive piece of legislation, partly because it needs to fund care for the (currently) 30,000 people suffering from 9/11 related illnesses. Because of the nature of cancer and other chronic illnesses, that number will rise as children exposed to the dust develop issues. Annually, it is estimated that it will cost $400 million to keep the World Trade Center Health Program and the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund running.
However, consider the F-35 Joint Strike fighter plane. I believe we should provide our military with the best possible equipment, but this plane, which cost $400 billion to develop and will cost around $1 trillion to maintain, has some major flaws. For instance, it cannot fly at night or in poor weather, and they are not currently being used for our military. Seems like a possible funding source.
Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart has been very vocal about the importance of the Zadroga Act, which is how I came to hear about it, and he will be heading to Congress to lobby for the act’s extension. Hear him talk further here in 2010.
So tomorrow, if you are looking to do something substantive for our 9/11 first responders, take the time to call or email your US Representatives or Senators. I will be contacting Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) and Sen. Pat Toomey to encourage them to support the bill, and I will be contacting Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) to thank him for his co-sponsorship of the bill. Find out who your Representatives and Senators are!
We should not fill tomorrow with empty words of remembrance, but rather with action that will help those who sacrificed so much in our nation’s darkest hours.
– The Lady Americanist
the lady americanist 