Victims’ families continue fight for new 9/11 probe

Families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks will continue to push for a new probe into the tragedy, despite a recent court decision not to put the issue on a referendum.

Around 80,000 campaigners in New York have called for a referendum on a new investigation into the 9/11 attacks back in September 2001, but the New York State Supreme Court has ruled it out.

The NYC Coalition For Accountability Now, which include victims’ relatives, survivors, and rescue workers lead the referendum campaign for the initiative to appear on November’s mayoral ballot.

The group accuses the 9/11 commission of failing to answer 70% of questions proposed by family members.

NYC CAN Executive Director Ted Walter says politics continues to block the will of the people.

“The judge’s decision clearly sends a message that investigating 9/11 or asking questions is not an appropriate thing to be doing,” Ted Walter commented.

NYC CAN won’t appeal the courts decision, but plans to take its campaign nationwide, launching a PR blitz aimed at gathering American support.

“Our next challenge is to reshape the public’s views about 9/11, because the bottom line is that the only way that politicians will do anything relating to getting accountability, whether it’s 9/11 or another issue, is if there’s public outcry, widespread public outrage,” Ted Walter said.

The Coalition is disappointed, but not surprised, by the judge’s decision. After all, in the past 25 years, only one referendum has made it to the New York City ballot. That was back in 1993, when New Yorkers voted on how long their politicians served.

Politicians were limited to serving two, four-year terms when Mike Bloomberg stepped into office. New York’s richest man now is vying to stay at the helm for twelve years, after city lawmakers decided to extend the term limits.

It was the politicians, not through a people’s referendum, which changed the law of the land. Yet if a government by the people ignores the people, many wonder if US democracy is becoming hypocrisy.