Political party affiliation has no place in certain issues. Whether those issues involve educating children, caring for senior citizens or finding new sources of energy so the country can manage when its finite resources expire, party affiliation ought to play no role. Yet, in recent days, Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and Rep. Barbara Cubin, R-Wyoming, threw emergency response and race issues between the great partisan divide.
Stevens serves as the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, making him arguably the most influential member of the Senate, as his post allows him to steer funds toward the direction he desires. This makes it all the more troubling that he blasted emergency workers and first responders.
While discussing ways to make most effective use of funds ear-marked for homeland security, Stevens said, -
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Some argue Stevens was correct in claiming first responders should volunteer to serve the country in times of emergency. The problem is, those people already did so in the wake of Sept. 11. Hundreds of police officers, firefighters and EMTs used their off days, vacation time, and in some cases voluntarily left retirement to aid in the massive rescue and clean up effort at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Great numbers of first responders died at these places while trying to save the lives of others. Volunteers sacrificed the financial stability of their families to save the lives of the members of other families.
How can someone in Stevens-
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Kevin Kovach
