Extra, Extra
Extra, Extra
Extra, Extra
Extra, Extra
Early Addition
First responders gathered in front of the NYC Medical Examiner's office to protest how the ME has classified deaths seemingly related to Ground Zero illnesses. State Senator Eric Adams said he would introduce legislation making sure first responders who worked at Ground Zero will "get the same line-of-duty benefits" as September 11 victims.
Recently, the ME's office has not named two rescuers, who worked at the World Trade Center site after September 11 and later died from complications of illnesses (seemingly caused by the toxic dust), as victims of the September 11 attacks. In fact, a letter ME Dr. Charles Hirsch sent to one of the families narrowed the definition of a 9/11 death: "All persons killed at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and others who died later from complications of injury or exposure directly caused by the collapse of the twin towers on that day are homicide victims."
Adams said, "We still hear the voices and pain of those that did not die on 9/11, but died after and will die in the future. My bill would allow the medical examiner to list those who worked on Ground Zero on 9/12 and after as victims of 9/11." Lawyer Norman Siegel of the ACLU added the responders are "American heroes...we must do everything we can help them and their families."
And the wife of one NYPD detective who is suffering the aftereffects of working 400 hours at Ground Zero said, "People who are ill are vilified rather than granted mercy."
add to digg
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
email this
add to facebook
add to del.icio.us
I profoundly understand the emotional reaction of family, friends and general citizens regarding the medical examiner's decision not to classify Officer Godbee's death as a homicide. (He was not present during the attacks). This then begs the question: were his traffic directing duties city sanctioned? Was he on payroll for this duty or did he volunteer for this service? Walking into an unknown risk to perform city ordered work as an officer should be well covered under workman’s comp and he should be given comendation for duty above and beyond the call of duty. This does not constitute murder. If he volunteered to stand in that toxic environment, for me, this does not constitute murder either as the ME puts it, and I agree with that delineation. It is because the circumstances of the effects of that cloud were unknown, many feel he is a deservedly appropriate candidate for inclusion on the list of those killed that day and days and years after. It’s a tough call and in light of the fact that trusted pols declared the area safe to return to, I’d say that if he gets included on this list, the family should then sue these pols for murder for prematurely and irresponsibly considering the city’s economic recovery over the health and life of it very citizens who create that economy!
I profoundly understand the emotional reaction of family, friends and general citizens regarding the medical examiner's decision not to classify Officer Godbee's death as a homicide. (He was not present during the attacks). This then begs the question: were his traffic directing duties city sanctioned? Was he on payroll for this duty or did he volunteer for this service? Walking into an unknown risk to perform city ordered work as an officer should be well covered under workman’s comp and he should be given comendation for duty above and beyond the call of duty. This does not constitute murder. If he volunteered to stand in that toxic environment, for me, this does not constitute murder either as the ME puts it, and I agree with that delineation. It is because the circumstances of the effects of that cloud were unknown, many feel he is a deservedly appropriate candidate for inclusion on the list of those killed that day and days and years after. It’s a tough call and in light of the fact that trusted pols declared the area safe to return to, I’d say that if he gets included on this list, the family should then sue these pols for murder for prematurely and irresponsibly considering the city’s economic recovery over the health and life of it very citizens who create that economy!