Beverly Eckert Is The 9/11 Widow That Died In That Horrific Commuter Plane Crash In Buffalo! Do You Know How She Felt About 9/11?

There were 50 victims that died in that horrific plane crash in Buffalo,NY.A lot of the names have been withheld,but the families of the victims have released a few.One of the victims who has been mentioned on every news outlet is Beverly Eckert.She was known as the spokesperson for the 9/11 widows.But,do you know how she felt about 9/11 ? Well,here is Beverly Eckert's opinion on what occurred on that day in her own words,taken from commondreams.org:

"Published on Friday, December 19, 2003 by the USA Today
My Silence Cannot Be Bought
by Beverly Eckert


I've chosen to go to court rather than accept a payoff from the 9/11 victims compensation fund. Instead, I want to know what went so wrong with our intelligence and security systems that a band of religious fanatics was able to turn four U.S passenger jets into an enemy force, attack our cities and kill 3,000 civilians with terrifying ease. I want to know why two 110-story skyscrapers collapsed in less than two hours and why escape and rescue options were so limited.

I am suing because unlike other investigative avenues, including congressional hearings and the 9/11 commission, my lawsuit requires all testimony be given under oath and fully uses powers to compel evidence.

The victims fund was not created in a spirit of compassion. Rather, it was a tacit acknowledgement by Congress that it tampered with our civil justice system in an unprecedented way. Lawmakers capped the liability of the airlines at the behest of lobbyists who descended on Washington while the Sept. 11 fires still smoldered.

And this liability cap protects not just the airlines, but also World Trade Center builders, safety engineers and other defendants.

The caps on liability have consequences for those who want to sue to shed light on the mistakes of 9/11. It means the playing field is tilted steeply in favor of those who need to be held accountable. With the financial consequences other than insurance proceeds removed, there is no incentive for those whose negligence contributed to the death toll to acknowledge their failings or implement reforms. They can afford to deny culpability and play a waiting game.

By suing, I've forfeited the "$1.8 million average award" for a death claim I could have collected under the fund. Nor do I have any illusions about winning money in my suit. What I do know is I owe it to my husband, whose death I believe could have been avoided, to see that all of those responsible are held accountable. If we don't get answers to what went wrong, there will be a next time. And instead of 3,000 dead, it will be 10,000. What will Congress do then?

So I say to Congress, big business and everyone who conspired to divert attention from government and private-sector failures: My husband's life was priceless, and I will not let his death be meaningless. My silence cannot be bought.

Beverly Eckert, whose husband died at the World Trade Center, is the founder of Voices of September 11th, a victims advocacy group."(Click here to go to Common Dreams.org)

What a strong, wonderful woman Beverly Eckert was.May all of the victims of rest in peace.

13 Year Old British Child Is Now A Father!

A very young looking 13 year old British boy has fathered a child with his 15 year old girlfriend.When asked how he would provide for his newborn girl,Alfie Patten says he's not sure.He's barely out of his childhood & into his teens.Now,he has to jump from pubescent responsibilities to adult ones.He's got to do way more than just his chores now.Here's more from Sky News:

"Alfie's girlfriend Chantelle Steadman, 15, gave birth to Maisie Roxanne in Eastbourne Hospital, East Sussex, four days ago, reports The Sun.

The boy, who is just 4ft and looks young for his age, told the newspaper: "I thought it would be good to have a baby."

But he admitted he did not think about how he would afford it.

"I don't really get pocket money. My dad sometimes gives me £10," he said.

Alfie, who lives with his mother Nicola, 43, in Eastbourne, was 12 when Maisie was conceived.


Here's the reaction in Britan over the birth of Maisie Roxanne:


"The first political reaction to the birth of Maisie Roxanne was outrage from former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith head of the Conservatives' Centre for Social Justice think tank.

The case was a "tragic example" of Britain’s social decline, Mr Duncan Smith said later.

"I don’t know about these particular families but too many dysfunctional families in Britain today have children growing up where anything goes.

"It exemplifies the point we have been making about broken Britain," he added.

"It's not being accusatory, it's about pointing out the complete collapse in some parts of society of any sense of what’s right and wrong.

"There is no opprobrium any more about behaviour and quite often children witness behaviour that's aggressive, violent, rude and sexual. It’s as if no one is saying this is wrong."(END OF EXCERPT)Read the rest here.

The NY Black History Panel Wants To Know What The Holdup Is!

New York wants to be the leader in introducing black history classes into the public school system.Or so the Amistad Commission thought!It's been 4 years since a law was passed to promote the teaching of black history & nothing has transpired!Here's more from the NY Times:

"Nearly four years after New York State passed a law creating a commission to promote the teaching of black history in public schools, the commission has never met, and 5 of its 19 seats have yet to be filled. For many educators and parents, the Amistad Commission, named after a slave ship seized by its captives, has become a modern-day symbol of bureaucratic inertia.

“New York, a pivotal state in African-American history, has not taken the lead here and we’re languishing,” said Manning Marable, a Columbia University professor of history and public affairs who was the first member appointed to the Amistad Commission. “It’s not just for black people, it’s for everyone. You can’t teach the history of this country effectively without teaching the contributions and experiences of black people.”

The Amistad Commission was modeled after a similar state commission in New Jersey that was established by a 2002 law requiring state schools to make black history part of the required curriculum. At least five other states — Florida, Arkansas, Illinois, Colorado and Michigan — have also adopted legislation requiring or encouraging the teaching of black history in schools, often along with the experiences of other minority groups, according to the Education Commission of the States.

The “Amistad” name comes from a schooner that was carrying a cargo of African slaves who revolted and killed the captain and cook in 1839. The slaves were captured and charged with murder, but with the help of former President John Quincy Adams, won their freedom through a United States Supreme Court ruling and returned to their homeland. The slave revolt was the basis for a popular movie, “Amistad,” in 1997.

In New York, the Amistad Commission is charged with surveying school curriculums to find out how much is included about “the African slave trade and slavery in America” and to make recommendations for improvement. Currently, schools are required to cover slavery, including the Underground Railroad and the freedom trail, as part of instruction in human rights issues for grades 8 to 12, according to the state education officials.

“That’s kind of laughable,” said Dr. Marable, the Columbia professor, who has been developing a Web site on black history for educators and parents with $240,000 in grants from the Ford Foundation. The Web site, known as the Amistad Resource, will feature texts, documents, and film and audio clips of civil rights demonstrations and other events.

Assemblyman Keith L. Wright, who sponsored the law creating the Amistad Commission, said that far too many students still “think of slavery as a Southern institution that happened below the Mason-Dixon line.”

“I don’t think enough black history is taught,” he said. “It’s too bad that Black History Month is the shortest month of the year, but it is what it is.”(END OF EXCERPT)Read the rest here.

This is an interesting video that shows black history being taught to Brownsville,NY students.