Monday, September 15, 2008

WHY WHY WHY

This morning, I was reading the September 15 edition of The New Yorker and one article especially came to my attention. That article was called A Cloud of Smoke by: Jennifer Khan. It was about James Zadroga, a New York City homocide detective who worked at Ground Zero after 9/11 and how he died.

My question is: how do the first responders of 9/11 prove that they are victims? It was 7 years since 9/11 and most people still haven't gotten aid from the government. For example: the Zadroga Act gives compensation to the families of the consequential 9/11 victims that are city workers, but it hasn't actually give out compensations because 9/11 illness is hard to define. In this case, doctors cannot agree on the REAL cause of James' death ( drugs or breathing hazardous chemicals at Ground Zero). Should we still respect him as a 9/11 hero and give his family compensation? My opinion is, even if James did take drugs, it was probably because of what he witnessed at Ground Zero (therefore a mental illness). It shouldn't matter what the cause of death was in the doctors' eyes. His death was a effect of the tragedy, therefore we should still respect him and his family should get help.

On a happier note, the USCL matches are happening tonight, don't miss the action!!!

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