I don't know if I am disturbed by the fact that the families of 9/11 think they are worth so much, or that military families are worth so little. I believe the families are exploiting American tax payers and no one will put a stop to it. In my opinion, Rush Limbaugh is right. The reason we pay millions of dollars to the victims of 9/11 isn't to honor the lives of the ones that died that day, it is because none of the people in control want to be seen as the political 'bad guy' that denied benefits to the victim's families.
Great people die everyday, including countless military men and women. To base compensation on 'potential lifetime earnings' is rediculous. Who is to say one of my friends wouldn't have won the lottery? Shouldn't we compensate his family a couple hundred million dollars, just in case? Who is to say the corporate CEO wouldn't have been hit by a car and been killed on 9/12? Then what? Then the families would be forced to rely on the pensions, life insurances and nest eggs that they still have; in addition to the millions of dollars they demand from tax payers.
My brothers and sisters in battle left all they knew and loved and died on the frontlines of the war on terror. Their familes receive a couple thousand dollars, a flag and a thank you. Most of the families deal with their loss and struggle to move on. Military service members want the same things everyone wants, for our family to be taken care of and a better life for our children.
I am disgusted that military families live on food stamps and state funded programs like WIC because there is no budget for military pay raises, yet we pay millions of dollars to one family because he 'had potential'.
I am not insensitive to the fact that they have experienced a tragic loss. But, I do not feel it is any different than any military family who lost a loved one. Hell, it is no different than anyone who has lost someone they love. How do you fairly compensate someone for losing a loved one?
For me it is simple. Give my children lower rates on school loans, grants, scholarships or investment options. Cut them a break to start a business or buy a house. We do it for the color of our skin, our sex and our heritage. I don't think that would be too much to ask.
**************************************************
The Truth Is by Rush Limbaugh
I think the vast differences in compensation between the victims of the September 11th casualty and those who die serving the country in uniform are profound. No one is really talking about it either because you just don't criticize anything having to do with September 11th. Well, I just can't let the numbers pass by because it says something really disturbing about the entitlement mentality of this country.
If you lost a family member in the September 11th attack, you're going to get an average of $1,185,000. The range is a minimum guarantee of $250,000, all the way up to $4.7 million. If you are a surviving family member of an American soldier killed in action, the first check you get is a $6,000, direct death benefit, half of which is taxable. Next, you get $1,750 for burial costs. If you are the surviving spouse, you get $833 a month until you remarry. And there's a payment of $211 per month for each child under 18. When the child hits 18, those payments come to a screeching halt.
Keep in mind that some of the people that are getting an average of $1.185, million up to $4.7 million, are complaining that it's not enough.
We also learned over the weekend that some of the victims from the Oklahoma City bombing have started an organization asking for the same deal that the September 11th families are getting.
In addition to that, some of the families of those bombed in the embassies are now asking for compensation as well. You see where this is going, don't you? Folks, this is part and parcel of over 50 years of entitlement politics in this country. It's just really sad.
**************************************************
The guys at Urban Legends added the following:
Limbaugh's figures above are roughly correct. As of June 2004, the compensation paid out to surviving family members of civilians who died in the 9/11 terrorist attack averaged $2 million per victim. By contrast, the families of American military personnel killed in combat typically receive a lump sum of $12,000 (as of November 2003; the amount was $6,000 when Limbaugh delivered his monologue in 2002), a burial allowance of up to $3,000, and ongoing monthly payments of $833 and $211 for surviving spouses and dependent children under 18 years of age, respectively.
Sources:
Rush Limbaugh monologue he delivered on his radio show March 11, 2002.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/04/national/main571663.shtml
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/casualty/blcasualty.htm