I can’t say this better than my dear friend, JoAnn Stach, who lost her husband Joe to 9/11 cancer. These Congressional Reps are worse than disrespectful. It’s their JOB to show up. Jon Stewart left directing a movie in Georgia just to fly in for the hearing. Outrageous. Outrageous they even need to debate making victim compensation fund permanent. Do the right thing!! Joanne writes:
"Dear Congress and everyone else for that matter,
Close your eyes and imagine a world where no one showed up. How about Election Day...no one shows up. How about you drop your child off at school...no one’s there, that surgery you need to survive....no doctors, no nurses no one showed up. This wouldn’t happen because they pledged a responsibility to be there. Imagine having to beg 911 to show up to a crisis....your having a heart attack and you’re begging for an ambulance, nothing. The fact that you didn’t show up is horrifying. You pledged to serve the people- all the people, and you failed. You failed the sick, the dying and the families of the first responders and all those affected by 9/11. Most of all you failed those who gave their lives. There is an empty chair in my house and it wasn’t by choice. My empty chair will never be occupied again. You however still have that luxury, must be wonderful to pick and choose the moments at which you do. 457 days until you can wave that “Never Forget” flag again! Don’t waste the time in between.
On behalf of my empty chair....Lt. Joseph R. Stach, Jr. FDNY."
JoAnn Stach
#emptychair
Above is one of the last Stach family pictures with Joe.
What can you do to help? Tell someone you know who lives in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida to contact their the U.S. Senators and insist they permanently extend the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. If you don't know anyone living in those states, do it yourself. Put the pressure on to unconditionally take care of our ailing first responders.