dojP000460.xml

dojP000460.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2002-02-07

Thursday, February 07, 2002 1:13 PM
Government's Role

We all grieve for the people directly affected by the September 11 attack and the families and friends of all those lost;
their lives will never be the same. The American people opened their hearts and wallets to these victims in an outpouring
of great sympathy and sadness.

But then Congress got involved, bringing to the fore our "great" American tort system. Assuming that Congress
instituted this compensation program in order to head off any suits against the airlines or the government, and not just a
knee jerk reaction to a horrible tragedy, shows again one of the great defects in our American culture. How can anybody
in good conscience hold the airlines or the government responsible for what happened? People scream out one side of their
mouths for more and more freedoms and "keep the government out of my life", and then say out the other side "why didn't
you stop those terrorists?".

This compensation program sets a very significant precedent for any future terrorist actions. What if, God forbid, a New York
City, a Los Angeles, or a bigger area is wiped out? The money that the government takes in is not a bottomless pit as Congress
seems to think it is. Many people die tragically in disasters, murders, etc. and the government does not get involved nor do people
pour millions into charities to help the families. No, these families somehow pick up the pieces of their lives, try to adjust, and
push on. As horrific as September 11 was, it was another disaster in a long list of disasters throughout history and unfortunately
will not be the last, natural or man-made.
Individual Comment

2002-02-07