Decision time for 9/11 kin

[Robb]

Decision time for 9/11 kin

(snip)

Monday is the deadline for filing a claim with the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Unlike Maltby, many have waited until the final days to file their claims, with a flurry of applications filed in recent weeks. Among those delaying until the end were two dozen Morris County families who filed a claim within the past three months. At least 68 Morris County residents died in the terrorist attacks.

Through last Thursday, a total of 5,070 claims were filed. Of those, 2,507 were from families of those killed in the terrorist attacks. That's roughly 84 percent of the nearly 3,000 people killed that day, with two days left to file. Kenneth Feinberg, the fund's special master, had set his goal for 90 percent.

(snip)

Some Morris County families have chosen a different route. Sisters Elizabeth Kemmerer and Carole O'Hare weighed both options and decided that the fund would not bring them the answers they sought. Their mother, Hilda Marcin, 79, of Mount Olive, died in United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Shanksville, Pa.

The sisters have said there have been too many cover-ups by the airlines and by the federal government. They joined two class-action lawsuits, one against the United Airlines and another against rich Muslims who allegedly helped to fund al-Qaida. They couldn't ask questions if they accepted money from the fund.

They said they will wait as long as it takes to get answers.

(more)

[thissideup]

1. While I support their rights

I also support those who took the settlement offer.

[stickdog]

2. How big of you. (nt)

[thissideup]

3. Are you in a wheelchair too?

[Fridays Child]

4. "They couldn't ask questions if they accepted money from the fund."

How can a financial settlement abrogate their right to participate in a criminal investigation and trial?

[Occulus]

5. Good question.

While the public release of information pertainint to a civil settlement can be forbidden, I don't believe a person can agree to be forbidden from being part of a criminal investigation, particularly if they are called as a witness.

Personally, I'd take the money, file it away in a Swiss account or something untouchable, and then when the money's safe go public as loudly as possible. This would serve two purposes:

1) it would send a message to all those who took the money that the money does not signify re the First Amentment right (right, not privelege) to free speech, and

2) I would be having my cake, eating it, and sharing it.

having the cake = I got the money,
eating the cake = I went public,
sharing it = No one would ever offer such a "silence settlement" again, and the truth would thus be that much more likely to come out each time.

Sure, I'll agree to you that I'll be silent about X event in exchange for money, but if you're paying me to keep quiet and you're not a close friend (from whom I wouldn't need to accept payment to keep quiet in the first place if it wasn't something deadly serious), don't think I won't take the money and run off shouting about who, what, where, when, how, and why, if I feel the coverup is sinister enough.

Yup. I'll betray blackly evil people. No hesitation.

[Robb]

6. Nice plan!

I found it interesting the largest injury claim was bigger than the largest death claim...?