Posted on 02/10/2008 2:30:51 PM PST by the scotsman
FAMILIES OF the victims of the September 11 terror attacks on New York have been devastated to learn that body parts of their loved ones have been found in the past two weeks by workers building the replacement for the World Trade Center.
Meanwhile, just a few miles away, distraught relatives are left to mourn at the world’s largest rubbish dump — the final resting place for the remains of their sons and daughters. This is the reality of New York more than six years after the attacks on the Twin Towers. It’s a situation described by one still-grieving mother as shameful and shocking.
At Fresh Kills, soil erosion is causing bones and other distressing evidence to be pushed to the surface. Wind and rain whip the dump, exposing shoes, watches, credit cards and jewellery.
For years, Diane has fought for a decent burial for those consigned to the landfill site at Fresh Kills. At first New York denied there were any substantial remains there. Now they don’t even bother to pretend, they just deny the families’ right to retrieve them. “I am beginning to realise there’s a difference between law and justice,” reflects Diane.
In two weeks’ time, after “fighting tooth and nail to get them to search an inch of that site,” the families may finally be getting somewhere. On February 22, WTC Families For Proper Burial will finally be granted their day in court.
As part of their submission to the court, WTC Families For Proper Burial has taken testimony from those who worked at the landfill site. The Sunday Post has obtained copies of the sworn affidavits of two workers. Their evidence is shocking.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dcthomson.co.uk ...
OK, I'll spell it out.
You had a situation in which many workers had been assigned to comb through the fine material recovered from Ground Zero. Ostensibly they were there to locate body parts and personal effects, to be returned to the families of the deceased. Probably their job also included locating any other valuable material that could be returned to its rightful owners.
I would have tended to take all of this at face value. But then one of the supervisors brags about how they are "doing God's work". It seemed to me that this man was "protesting too much". It has been my observation that whenever people brag about either their holiness or their honesty, this is not a good sign for their actual moral rectitude.
It would not previously have occurred to me that these workers might be looking to, or in a position to enrich themselves from this exacting work. I'm usually an optimist about human nature. But after hearing this comment I started to wonder. It would not surprise me if some sort of scandalous story comes out regarding this operation.
Thank you for sharing your perspective. I can not imagine what you have experienced, and I have said a prayer for you to be comforted.
I’m sure that everything that you have saved which belonged to your son brings a special memory, even in the most common everyday type items. It represents a physical link, and then a memory, which becomes, for a brief moment, a connection to those we no longer can hold close.
God bless you and your family.
I remember in my psychology textbook there was a cartoon of an elderly Eskimo on an ice floe being pushed off into the ocean. The elderly person was saying, “Are you sure this will take me past the retirement home?” I usually like morbid cartoons but that one really got to me.
Very sorry to hear about your son. I cannot begin to imagine the pain from the loss of a child.
It's a very difficult situation, however there comes a time when everything practical and within reason has been done and you just have to continue with life.
As imperfect as things may seem, that time is now.
I have great empathy for what the survivors have gone through but they cannot continue to put themselves and other people through hell forever.
It is going on seven years. It will help them if they can begin to accept the past for what it is and start to look ahead.
And isn't his cousin a Congressman? I would imagine if he thought an excavation were warranted, he could influence things a bit.
I know. It’s seems so brutal, but to them it has been the natural consequence of growing old. I hope they don’t practice that anymore!
Nooo, not personally.
Couldn't agree more. I'm bothered by democrat and union groups looking to score political points by making it seem as though Rudy Giuliani "didn't care" and just "paved over" human remains. THAT is sick. Much as I hate Bill Clinton I wouldn't be this pathetic. When TWA 800 went down I didn't accuse him of "abandoning" dead bodies on the bottom of the ocean. We did what was humanly possible and I thank those that did this incredibly difficult task.
ping
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