Rememberance of 9/11

On the 7th anniversary of the most horrific tragedy on American soil, I as well as most other Americans, will be tuned into the 9/11 ceremonies taking place today. Still, to this day, I get chocked up when I think about it and how the tragedies unfolded from the Pentagon, to the crash site in Pennsylvania, to the twin towers in New York City. I remember that day so clearly. I couldn't wait to get home from work because I needed a place to go where I felt safe and secure. I wanted to watch the news coverage because it felt surreal and confusing. Days afterwards, I was still in a state of denial and feeling the saddest I've ever felt in my entire life.

A couple of days ago, I was tuned into a program on T.V. called 9/11: Millionaire Widows. It was about the poor windows and how their lives have changed drastically since that awful day. Each person directly affected from the loss of a loved one, received large settlements some in the amounts of millions of dollars. My attention was drawn immediately because I thought I would be hearing stories about how families made donations or established memorials and trust funds in honor of their loved ones who lost their lives. Or, how they used their settlement money to ensure the best for their families in the future. But instead, I listened to stories that seemed pathetic, ungrateful, and down right dumb. It's really sad that when money is involved, people become very greedy and forget the reasons behind receiving it. One woman on the show, was upset and down right pissed because her husband, a New York City Firefighter, left her for another woman who's husband was killed in the attack and was also a NYC Firefighter. She didn't seem to care about what happened on 9/11. She was mad at the world because of what her husband did. The spokesperson from the claims office in NYC shared stories about how some of the women widowers, were almost financially broke because they spent their settlements on plastic surgery, purchasing new homes, ect. Story after story, I couldn't believe how dumb and greedy these people were. How could they possible forget the real reasons behind all of that money? How could they let their focus be on money and not the victims who lost their lives that day? I want to believe that all Americans are compassionate, empathetic, and caring people but, after watching that show, I have my doubts.