This is not a witty, fun-yet-scathing documentary like one of Michael Moore's, but its content speaks for itself. The implications of the facts stated in this film are extraordinary. Every American, no matter what their opinion of the origins and aftermath of 9/11, should see this film and think about how the men and women who rushed unquestioning to our rescue, the men and women who have been publicly lauded by the administration as American heroes, are being allowed to die without help or acknowledgement because of the dust to which they were unnecessarily exposed. This film will enrage you and blow your mind.
2 Reviews
criminal behavior on the part of the Bush Administration
terence_j_morrissey28 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I am so outraged after viewing this film (Sundance channel), I may not be in the best frame of mind to write this review. I have also clicked the spoiler button, but the basic gist of the entire movie is how the administration, by way of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) run by an attorney who represents toxic claim violators, twisted and spun the data ( and in some cases deleted) to represent that the post 9/11 air was in fact safe to breathe.
The documentary is a litany of first responders who now suffer from debilitating (and in some cases, terminal) pulmonary diseases, and how the system is now letting them fall between the cracks as their insurers decline to cover them, despite their selfless acts of heroism on 9/11. And how the Administration continues to wash their hands of any responsibility. The administration seems ready to sacrifice the "little people" (rhymes with non 6 figure contributors) in order to further their political agenda.
The documentary is also testimony to the litigation that is now being pursued by the affected first responders. In a stunning pre-trial decision, a federal judge has ruled that the then head of the EPA (Christine Todd Whitman-Republican. what a surprise to find out she was a republican) DOES NOT HAVE IMMUNITY from prosecution for the things she said, "...I can assure you as the head of the EPA, that the air is safe to breathe...". The judge involved said she could not believe the utter callousness with which Ms. Whitman sent people to their graves. I am pretty sure she will do time in jail. There will be others going to jail as well I imagine, mostly from the CEQ, which was directly responsible for the deletion of language that would have warned people returning to the affected area, from a report that the EPA submitted.
There are about 9000 first responders involved in one of the suits against the EPA, but this will pale in the wave of suits by the ordinary citizens who, relying on the assurances of the NYC and federal governments also returned to contaminated areas to work and live post 9/11.
I can only hope that everyone sees this film and presses their representatives in Congress to push for prosecution of the A**HOLES who thought it was more important to open Wall Street, than to protect its little citizens.
The documentary is a litany of first responders who now suffer from debilitating (and in some cases, terminal) pulmonary diseases, and how the system is now letting them fall between the cracks as their insurers decline to cover them, despite their selfless acts of heroism on 9/11. And how the Administration continues to wash their hands of any responsibility. The administration seems ready to sacrifice the "little people" (rhymes with non 6 figure contributors) in order to further their political agenda.
The documentary is also testimony to the litigation that is now being pursued by the affected first responders. In a stunning pre-trial decision, a federal judge has ruled that the then head of the EPA (Christine Todd Whitman-Republican. what a surprise to find out she was a republican) DOES NOT HAVE IMMUNITY from prosecution for the things she said, "...I can assure you as the head of the EPA, that the air is safe to breathe...". The judge involved said she could not believe the utter callousness with which Ms. Whitman sent people to their graves. I am pretty sure she will do time in jail. There will be others going to jail as well I imagine, mostly from the CEQ, which was directly responsible for the deletion of language that would have warned people returning to the affected area, from a report that the EPA submitted.
There are about 9000 first responders involved in one of the suits against the EPA, but this will pale in the wave of suits by the ordinary citizens who, relying on the assurances of the NYC and federal governments also returned to contaminated areas to work and live post 9/11.
I can only hope that everyone sees this film and presses their representatives in Congress to push for prosecution of the A**HOLES who thought it was more important to open Wall Street, than to protect its little citizens.
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