Families Of The Victims Should Be Highly Compensated Essay Example for Free

Families Of The Victims Should Be Highly Compensated Essay Because the impact of the September 11th terrorist attacks upon the families of the immediate casualties is historically profound, though largely immeasurable, the families of the victims should be financially compensated by the Federal Government, as this is the best tangible way for the society to show its compassion for the lives of the sacrificed. This notion of victim compensation has ignited fierce debate; the question and concerns center around considerations of victim-eligibility and also, to whom responsibility for the disaster itself should be assigned. Along with these considerations, debate about the compensatory value of economic payments is valid, specifically: how much should be paid? Should their be different compensatory rates for different victims, or a uniform dollar amount? Whatever the dollar amount: it is clear that the September 11th attacks caused unprecedented economic, physical, emotional, and psychological damages not only to the families of those who were killed, but to the entire city of New York and the inhabitants of Washington D.C. The 911 terrorist attacks proved so dramatically devastating that compensation to the victim’s families is indicated. An investigation of the cost-estimates and damage assessments, as well as a study of the 911 commission’s findings demonstrate the claim that 911 was a disaster of unparalleled proportions. This is a key factor in the claim for compensation. A second key factor is the assertion that the 911 terrorist attacks were (at least within the scope of reason) preventable. Even if investigation of the 911 Commission’s findings and a survey of independent sources and analysts determined that the 911 attacks were not preventable, the issue of victim compensation remains valid. However, should sufficient evidence lead to the opposite conclusion, then, certainly, the case for compensation would be strengthened. A third key element of the argument for victim compensation involves the issue of the 911 rescue workers and the questions surrounding their deployment during the crises. Are the families of the first-responders who perished in the attacks entitled to more (or less) compensation than â€Å"civilian† families? Is the responsibility for their deaths a separate (but perhaps parallel) determination from the determinations of responsibility and preventability for the 911 attacks? Extensive periodical and journalistic coverage of the first-responders at 911 is available along with book-length investigative material. Demonstrating that the federal government should bear a financial burden on behalf of the families of the 911 victims will be a challenging task. It is perhaps not possible to establish with certainty whether or not the 911 attacks could have been prevented. If there is no specific office or person to assign responsibility to for the attacks, demonstrating the efficacy of a reparation payment scheme would be doubly strenuous. However, the scope of the disaster and the magnitude of its damaging impact so vast, the argument for compensation becomes slightly easier to make, based on emotional and civic appeal. Annotated Bibliography Chomsky, N. (2001). September 11 /. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen Unwin. A comprehensive chronicle of the 911 attacks and their impact on political and social thought. This may be considered a main source-book for the thesis. Dahir, M. (2002, September 17). September 11: Are All Survivors Equal? One Year after the Terrorist Attacks, New Laws Have Broadened the Definition of Legal Partnership-But the Laws Might Not Be Broad Enough to Help All September 11 Survivors. The Advocate 26+. A discussion of the circumstances of gay and lesbian couples and a debate about the entitlement of non-traditional families to compensation. This source helps elucidate the legalistic angles (and also humanizes) of the 911 attacks. Dolfman, M. L., Wasser, S. F. (2004). 9/11 and the New York City Economy: A Borough-by-Borough Analysis The Effect of the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001, on the New York City Economy Was Far Reaching and Extended to Every Borough of the City; Hardest Hit Was New Yorks Export Sector-The Most Internationally Oriented Part of That Economy. Monthly Labor Review, 127(6), 3+. Article detailing the impact of the 911 attacks on the economic, social, and mercantile activities of New York City. An important source for establishing the devastating impact of the attacks in microcosm, and thereby establishing evidence for central pillar of the compensation thesis. House Approves Panel on September 11 Attacks. (2002, July 26). The Washington Times, p. A14. Article showing the lead-up to the establishment of the 911 Commission. Important for establishing responsibility for the attacks, and whether or not preventability played a factor. From this source I hope to find leads to further details of the Commission’s findings. Jackson, B. A., Peterson, D. J., Bartis, J. T., Latourrett, T., Brahmakulam, I., Houser, A., et al. (2002). Protecting Emergency Responders: Lessons Learned from Terrorist Attacks. Santa Monica, CA: Rand. Source examining the process and procedure of emergency responders to 911. Can improvements be made; ie– were mistakes made? I hope this source will provide insight into the responsibility and efficacy issues of the first-responders mentioned in my thesis.