Something to ponder!

[Keith_Hixson]

My Sister sent me this e-mail. So I thought I'd pass on to you folks. I have no comments. But, it does make one think about how our servicemen are being treated.


[There is a vast difference between what the victims of 9 - 11 get and what our men/women killed in action received or will receive.
It seems that no one really wants to talk about it because it concerns the compensation of the 9 - 11 victims and that is a taboo subject. However, here goes!

Victims of 9 - 11 tragedy received $1,185,000 on average. It ranged between $250,000 and 4.7 million. Military personnel receive $6,000 and $1,750 burial benefit. Surviving spouses get $833 a month until they remarry, juvenile children receive $211 until they turn 18. And some of the 9 - 11 people are complaining! Recently, victims of the Oklahoma tragedy want the same compensation, and are asking congress for the same compensation.

At the same time that congress gave themselves a raise, military and veterans benefits have been decreasing. Anyone killed in action defending their country deserve as much or more than these accidental deaths. What do you think? ]


That was the basic context of the e-mail.


Keith

[Andy]

I don't mean to sound cold but I suppose there would be some truth to that observation.
This war on terror is going to go on for a long time. We are currently going after some of the important actors but not the root cause, don't know if we could tackle the root cause, fundamentalism in Islam. Don't mean to sound like Chicken Little saying, "the sky is falling" but another 9/11 is only a matter of time. If Bio, Chem or Nuke weapons are used, 9/11 will look like a skirmish.
It was nice of the government and many private individuals to donate money to the victims and their families of 9/11 but what happens if in L.A. a million people are killed or disabled? Will each of them, or their families, expect to become rich in money?
Members of the military do their jobs and don't get paid enough, no doubt. But we as a nation have raised the expectations of civilians who may be victims in the future. This can be seen as American generosity but the next 9/11 may result in people being treated as though they were members of the military, which will cause problems. So sad. Perhaps terrorism insurance ought to be made available to the common man so that if the family gets rich it's because the victim was far sighted.

Stay healthy, keep your head down,
Andy

[Boats]

Keith,

You talk about blood-pressure issues this subject really makes mine boil. I work in the industrial sector (whats left of it) and we've not had a pay raise in three years - so I know where this going.

9/11 - Yes it was tragic. But most people who get killed or die in an accident only get 20, 50 or maybe 100 grand "max". This million dollar figure is not right. Most of us have to take out our own insurance just to bury us and pay off what little bills we have.

9/11 victims (once again I feel bad for) would have also had mortgage insurance to cover their houses and they would have also had a death benefit either purchased or provided maybe by their employer. But how they can get millions of dollars from this -is wrong.

You never know how or when you will leave this earth. If they had died in an accident we all know what little they would have gotten from their insurance policies.

Those individuals who are incapacitated or left fully disabled should receive a monthly benefit not a lump sum.

Their lawyers aren't working in their behalf for free. These vultures fly in to make money from others losses. They will skim off their cut (usually 30%) away from those surviving victims. Which by law should should be a crime against humanity.

The insurance companies are going to recoup their losses by increasing our premiums for our policies.

So in the long run they didn't loose a thing. We who were not even present will be paying these bills for years to come and surely someone will make a profit from that.

I once again regret the losses of those from 9/11 but I can't and I won't accept large cash settlements when in a normal death or accident that victims family can't get that kind of judgement. I am sorry but that's how I feel. Right is right and wrong is wrong.
Equality for whom the lawyers the profit takers - it isn't right.

[Seascamp]

?Battlefield America? has become a reality and we can expect more to come and it has been promised and guaranteed by the Islamic Fundamentalists. So as we slowly inch toward a homeland war footing and posture, there will have to be a lot of things to define and none of them are pleasant or fair in nature. I?m not optimistic at all that 9/11 was the worst we will endure before we seriously set about crushing and burning the Hydra and along the way we?ll will have to look after a lot of victims. I have no suggestions as to how victim compensation can be done that would be fair to all who have and will suffer and die. But on the other hand, I absolutely believe that the more we equivocate and fuss about getting after the Hydra the worse the path of War will be, and the more victims we will have to mourn and look after. Our National issues seem to be painting us in a corner or at best a Catch 22 and it just may be that we?ll have to adsorb another pounding before we really get after the World root cause of all this pain and suffering and take care of it.

Scamp

[Boats]

Scamp,

There is way to much posturing going on. Whose in control? Whose going to call the shots? It's a dog chasing its tail. I agree but they don't know who and where to go after these culprits.

Have you noticed how quite everything is regarding Osama? They haven't got a clue where he's at! Iraq this Iraq that. Ya know why? Because Iraq hasn't moved.

They've got to start at the East coast and work west shagging all these illegals out of here. They've got to show us something!! We are waiting for proof and waiting for results an waiting and waiting and waiting. This is getting real old - quick.

[reconeil]

...ever heard the expression that: "Rank has its priviledges"?
Well Friends, unfortunately that unarguable truism is more so applicable to Civilian Leadership here in America,...than such ever was for The Military (where expression is normally used).

It just doesn't seem to matter that most in Public Office or Ruling Elite are already affluent and/or millionaires. What "They" WANT (especially regarding raises and retirements ) ALWAYS COMES FIRST. It's that old lordly and superiority thing, whether in good times, bad times or whenever. I guess most officials honestly believe that: "Charity starts at home"?

In other words, screw the rank and file of The Military. If "They" too were interested in advancing themselves and achieving fame and fortune and accruing the greatest of benefits,..."They" should take their discharges, join the gang, get into politics, and quit bellyaching.

Naturally, the aforementioned is absurd and stated sarcastically tongue-in-cheek. Still, and since America's Leaders have always taken care of themselves infinitely better than America's selflessly courageous warriors and selflessly courageous ex-warriors (re. Veterans),...I don't believe that I'm too far off the mark regarding whom Leaders ARE TRULY CONCERNED ABOUT. "Themselves", clique, power and control...above all else.

Granted, there might be a few out-of-a-hundred that actually want to SERVE The People (Veterans inclusive). But, so what?
In A REAL DEMOCRACY there must be at least 51% : "That actually want to SERVE", so as The People are also taken care of.
Besides, if one (or a few also) doesn't go-with-the-flow, one is history. Lords don't particularly like rabblerousers in their midst.

Neil

[Boats]

Neil,

Charity wouldn't be needed if our allocations were funneled in the appropriate means. Pull in all foreign aide (for now). Let's watch the wiggle.

Take all this money and heal our people and our society. There are too many ills in the system that need fixing. Congress should freeze their wages for the next five years. They should not be taking raises not allocated or approved by their constituants (us).
When we are doing well they should do well if we doing badly then they should be feeling the same misfortunes.

[Seascamp]

You have hit upon a number of National issues that are plaguing us and ?results? certainly has to be big on the list of frustrations, I know I?m frustrated. As to OBL, well, I?m thinking he?s way to wealthy and vicious for anyone to catch. He can buy or enforce all the security he needs or will ever need. And I believe some of our supposed ?friends? are covering for him as a way to buy time, protection and good graces. In that murky world, nothing is as it seems and everyone is a player, playing at screwing over the other player. As well, I?m not so sure OBL is all that important in the equation anymore. No doubt he?s the spiritual/philosophical leader of Al-Qaeda but in all certainty, not the operational leader and I doubt he ever was. It?s the operational leaders we have been killing lately, as that is what we can see and figure out. I?m OK with that tactic and if OBL is forced to stay under cover and refrain from communicating, then he?s as good as dead for all tactical reasons.

Iraq is a topic I don?t have a grip on as yet but I?m thinking you have part of the story and another part of the story is that Saddam is indeed the Boogie man for many Countries in the area and the US going after him just could be the ?baksheesh? we are paying to get support for the rest of the program. Now if I just had a single clue as to the rest of the program I could probably understand the Iraq program, maybe.

Scamp

[Boats]

Scamp,

Baksheesh I haven't heard since working in Saudi. For those who don't know that's money under the table.

[Tamaroa]

Boats, Keith,

Interesting topic here. Whose life is worth more? I fully believe that while 9/11 was a tragedy, that those million plus dollar payments are ludicrous. The money would have been much better off used by customs or Immigration or the Coast Guard to strengthen our borders.

Our service men and women are not paid well I grant you. In addition, our government has not exactly demonstrated sympathy with them vis-avis the concurrent receipt issue and the most recent flap about 20 year vets not getting full coverage that they were promised decades ago.

On the other hand, there is no draft. People including probably some of you on this board enlisted voluntarily after the draft ended. Nobody made you do it. You knew what the pay was, you knew that you may have to put yourself in harms way as a member of the Armed Forces. You also know from past experience that as a general rule, politicians will do what it takes to get re-elected, not what is good for the country. They look out for themselves and lobbies with which they have a parasitic relationship.

Add to this mix the current reserve call-ups. There are certain elements of this that really gall me. What is a reservist's motive for enlisting? To make a few extra bucks and to serve his/her country - right? Well, I personally know several reservists who were called up and they are furious. Why because they will not be pulling in the hefty union salaries they were prior to the call up. I told one guy I had absolutely no sympathy for him. He should have known that he could be called up and should have planned for such a contingency. I served 4 straight years which is 1460 days. If a reservist does his/her thing with no extraordinary call ups they do 760 days in 20 years and they get a pension to boot. No one gave a damn about the disruption in my life then.

So can/will the system be fixed?Who will reign in congress and stop them from giving themselves their own raises? Who will wave the standard for us veterans and/or current service men and women? The public as a general rule here in NYC did not appreciate what the cops and firemen did until they all died in droves after 9/11!!! Why is that??? Wasn't a cop or a fireman's life worth as much before hand? Sure it was, but the magnitude of the disaster stunned everyone. What will it take for the public to appreciate the current crop of servicemen? Do they have to die in droves as well to be noticed or appreciated?

I would be willing to bet that the public would be a lot more sympathetic to the armed forces if there was a draft in effect. Without one, you are in the service because that's what you want. Therefore, their attitude is you knew about it you made the choice, deal with it! Being a Viet Nam-era veteran, I still get grief from people who to this day think if you were in the service from 1963- 1973 you were a drug addict and worthless. Thankfully, it is beginning to change, but we still have a way to go. We will never attain the status of the WW2 vet who fought to make the world safe for democracy but people are starting to think differently.

As reeb would say enuf!!

BillD