Since the Sept. 11 attacks at the Pentagon and World Trade Center, the country has been hard at work to repair the massive damages caused by terrorism. As firefighters, police officers and other public workers remain persistent in cleaning up the building remains at Ground Zero, victims of the attacks struggle to get on with their lives. The government is attempting to help by providing the Sept. 11 Victim’s Compensation Fund, though some reworking of the plans are necessary.
Currently, the Victim’s Compensation Fund offers $50,000 to families of perished victims and $25,000 to those injured by the attacks. In addition, each victim will receive a minimum of $250,000, from which money will be deducted depending on the victim’s salary, age and amount of dependents. After calculations, many families have discovered that they will receive close to nothing at all. Furthermore, if victims choose to participate in the program, they will lose all lawsuit privileges against the government or airlines.
It is truly sad the government needs to formulate a plan to prevent people from suing itself and businesses for the terrorist attacks. It is understandable that victims feel as though they should be recompensed for their losses, as happens in many cases, but surely these are special circumstances. When it comes down to it, there is probably no way to have prevented the Sept. 11 events from taking place, so why sue? It would only cause more problems and suffering for everyone involved.
The plans for the Victim’s Compensation Fund should be revamped. Awards should be based on an individual basis. An application process would be ideal, in which victims seeking compensation would fill out forms similar to college students looking to receive financial aid. The application may be painful to complete, but it would be much less painful than an entire lawsuit.
The idea behind the Victim’s Compensation Fund shows potential, but both sides of the issue must compromise. The government must reconsider its basis for award decisions, and victims must realize that if they are not happy with the program, they do not have to sign up. Ultimately, though, it is important to remember that no matter how the government chooses to dole out its money, there is no way to put a price on someone’s life.
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