Patrick R. McElhiney believes that every American that was alive on September 11th, 2001 was a victim of the tragedy that happened, because something in us changed that day. Patrick remembers how students at Merced College in California were laughing at the same time the first tower was hit - probably not because of what was on the television, but that contrast between what Patrick had just seen as he sat down in the Cafeteria to eat a snack, and what other people were doing, made Patrick very angry. He went home immediately following what he saw on TV that day, even before there was news that al-Qaeda terrorists may have been planning to target a dam in California. He was shocked that Castle Air Force Base had fighter jets on the tarmac as he left through Atwater, CA - he knew there was something seriously wrong, even before he found out the second plane had hit.
The real victims of 9/11 were the first responders, the heroes that saved countless people from ground zero, 412 of which died on that day, and an additional 200 more have died since then due to health complications such as cancer from the air pollution as the towers fell and released all kinds of different chemicals and substances into the surrounding air. Recently, it was announced over the news that their fund was running out of money. This fund is very important, because it pays medical bills and other types of settlements to New York's police officers, fire fighters, and other types of first responders relating to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. People are still dying from 9/11 related illnesses, and these heroes shouldn't have to go through the anxiety of not knowing whether their bills will be paid, and their fund will be replenished by Congress. The fund needs to be replenished indefinitely! Please contact your Congressional leaders to ask them to renew funding for the victims of 9/11 fund.
