∞ Firefighters, police officers not invited to 9/11 ceremony

Written by

CNN:

Yet now, after all the wreckage has been cleared and the rebuilding has begun, their path is again blocked — not by flying chunks of smoldering rubble, but by space constraints.

The first responders are not invited to this year’s September 11 memorial ceremony at ground zero, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office confirmed Monday.

They weren’t invited in 2001 either, but they showed up. Much respect to those people.


  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XENVNKXRXRIHZBGMN35N44M3VA dreyfus_ffm

    First they had to fight the disaster, then they had to fight for 6 effing years to have their health issues accepted (some even 8 years), and now they have to watch from the outside, to make room for some celebrities and seat warmers that were never endangered in the first place. I do not say that easily, but whenever Mr. Bloomberg’s house and family are on fire… tell him there was not enough space for the fire truck.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_AL4OADCEJWQFESMG3ZWUGJWXIY John

      i agree my dad was an officer on duty and was a 1st responder and he gets letter in the mail that he and the rest of his squad are not to show up and if they do they are to watch from a distance? WTF is that?

  • Anonymous

    Space constraints seems like a valid reason to not issue an invitation to all of the hundreds of folks that would be involved. to do so would create a potential safety hazard, which even the police and fire fighters would distain

    and is simply not the same as not inviting them out of some philosophical distaste which would be utterly tacky. 

    Then again, casting this in a nasty light gets more hits and that’s really what all the websites and blogs care about (though almost all of them will deny it)

    • Anonymous

      How big is ground zero again?

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=617646220 Joe Berman

      It’s not hundreds…there were 91,000 first responders on 9/11.

  • Anonymous

    Of course they aren’t invited, why embarrass the EPA who said that there were no health risks to anyone working during the rescue and then the clean-up.

  • A. Ferguson-Tait

    This is so horrible. Shame on the American Government, the emergency personnel along with the families of those lost should be the first ones to receive invites. Come over to Australia, we hold memorials every year for the lives lost and the great work of the emergency services. We need more emergency workers over here and we value and respect our emergency workers and over here on anniversary’s for things like Ash Wednesday, Black Friday and anniversaries of natural disasters or otherwise we celebrate the work of our emergency workers, they risk their lives for us, just like the American emergency services risked their lives to save others on that faithful day, so wake up America, if it weren’t for the emergency service personnel, there would have been a hell of a lot more lives lost.

    And to all you police, fire fighters, ambulance officers and all the others, my heart and thoughts will be with you on September 11th, because you are the hero’s and deserve better xo

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=617646220 Joe Berman

      You do know that there were 91,000 first responders.  Let’s say each one of them brings one guest….you’re looking at almost 200,000 people you have invite.

    • jeff

      This decision was NOT made by the federal government; it was a New York City event- get your facts straight- the letters came from the mayor’s office…

  • Ksilcock

    Shame, shame, shame!! :(

  • Pikappbh

    This article is bull..
    Clergy is not invited so the Christian religious freaks, oops sorry
    patriots don’t freakout when an Muslim imam shows up
    to represent Islam along with the reps from very other major religion.
    Is someone from Fox News writing this junk?
    It sounds a little too fair and balanced.
    Think about it, I know that’s difficult for some of you.
    Who would be politically dumb enough to not invite the cops
    and smoke eaters.

    • churchofcoltrane

      You might want to check snopes.

    • think about it

      it would have been fine if they would have created 2 ceremonies if they couldnt fit everyone but they didnt they just said there will be a second one sometime but they dont know the date or anything and its not only they didnt get invited they were forbiden from comming inless they stood far away everyone of those people lost a loved one that day so they fall into both catigories

  • Anna McNeill

    appauling….this is the most absolute disgusting thing I have ever heard of they saved so many and lost so many….FFS what are you thiinking

  • Herlicat

    This is beyond comprehension and should be changed. President Obama, fix this. You have not fixed anything else but here is one situation you certainly could and should fix.

    • jeff

      #1- Obama has NO control over this CITY of NEW YORK event; it was the mayor who sent the letters out. #2- Herlicat- how could a true patriot use this solemn day as an excuse to dis the President, who killled the man who did this to us??!! Get real, and get educated.

      • Guest

        President Obama did not kill Bin Laden. Navy Seals, along with the help of the Intelligence community did. They began their work way before Obama was president.

      • guest

        you my friend need to get educated obama didnt do anything the men and women fighting for our country killed bin laden and who took the credit and gave none to the real heros? oh the president that has done nothing for us but raise the debt limit.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=617646220 Joe Berman

    Just to put in in perspective…there were 91,000 first responders on 9/11.  Imagine if you let each one of them bring one guest.  You are having to accommodate 182,000+ people (on top of all the families of the victims who this memorial service is for).  Still think they’re being unreasonable?  I think the first responders did an amazing job on  9/11, but everyone needs to understand that this ceremony is for the families of the victims and they take priority.

    • Kthomas1

      I would rather a representative from each fire and police station be invited instead of celebrities and other non-important politicians.

    • AF Berg

      Yes Joe Berman I think it’s unreasonable for the mayor and president to exclude the people who were the ones to get as many out as they did. The death count would be so much bigger if not for these heros. Out of those apparent 91,000 first responders, how many were killed? Don’t their families deserve a memorial as well? The memorial is for ALL who gave their blood, sweat, and tears and indeed, their lives. Your comment about hype is your own way of egging it on.You say this memorial is for the victims, are you saying these men and women are not deserving of the memorial and recognition of what they gave that day? Whether they gave their life or saved lives they should not be excluded..

    • jeff

      Not to mention the possibility of anniversary-related violence- with so many people there, it would be impossible to deal with.

    • Missrosie1870s

      So those PD officers, firemen and other first responders who lost their lives were not victims? 

  • Mandadavis

    i understand this is for the famlies, but that INCLUDES our first responders. if they were really concerned about space, let all the big shots stay home! i dont need the president, his family, all his team, the mayor and all his team, and so on to say how sorry they are when they werent even in office at the time! make them stay home and invite all the true heros

  • Hollywood James

    There was 91000 responders, you are all idiots and fueling the hype. The families should be thought of first, your all so selfish in your beliefs. I truly beleive the guy who said that all the bloggers care about is the hype which is more lame than not inviting 91000 people and creating a far greater hazard. Have it at Giant’s stadium if that is the case..

  • Hollywood James

    There was 91000 responders, you are all idiots and fueling the hype. The families should be thought of first, your all so selfish in your beliefs. I truly beleive the guy who said that all the bloggers care about is the hype which is more lame than not inviting 91000 people and creating a far greater hazard. Have it at Giant’s stadium if that is the case..

  • JW

    I keep seeing the comment, there were 91,000 first responders. If they get invited and they bring their family’s it will not be enough room. The last time I checked and was in that area lower Manhattan is huge. Let people fill the streets if need be. Don’t tell those Men and Women they are not invited. What a disgrace.

  • Believe101

    Unbelievable – they left out the heroes,

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