The Victims of Terrorism: An Assessment of Their Influence and ...

12 The Victims of Terrorismwhich have each steadily maintained their specificity of focus. As a result, the WVFA andVoices are the least influential groups within the second tier, as the breadth of their missionshas reduced their ability to make a significant impact in any particular area, thereby limitingtheir potential to initiate legislative change. From this, it appears that a group’s level of influencedepends equally on both the relevancy of its goals and for whom and how many peopleits agenda is oriented, areas in which 9/11 FSA and the SCC have achieved success. Equallyimportant, however, is the level of determination motivating leaders, as well as their personalities,which played a large role in their ability to cooperate with others and develop partnerships(Lemack, 2006a).The final groups to be discussed are those designated as third-tier organizations, whichhave visibly less influence than those within the preceding two categories. The majority ofgroups affiliated with 9/11 that are not cited or discussed in this paper also fall under thisclassification. In this group of organizations, there is no apparent consistency among theirmissions or membership composition. In general, their agendas differ significantly from thoseof organizations associated with the first and second tiers. As noted, for example, third-tiergroups’ goals tend to be either too narrow or too geographically specific to elicit widespreadappeal for a particular group’s cause.Two groups, both with very different membership pools, offer similar services of outreachand support. Having lost his older brother in the attacks, Anthony Gardner established theWTCUFG in September 2001 to create a community of family members in living tribute tothose who had died. The WTCUFG’s primary objective is to provide peer support throughspecial events, programs, and an online chat room. Available only to registered members, thechat room acts as an informal forum monitored by the organization’s mental health advisor,Dr. Lisa Kaplan. Membership is open to all victims’ family members, survivors, and rescueworkers who receive information updates, event invitations, and a bimonthly newsletter via theInternet (WTCUFG, undated[a]).Having lost 28 parishioners on 9/11, St. Clare’s Church of Staten Island began the WorldTrade Center Outreach Committee. Led by Denis McKeon, this committee, which seeks tohelp victims regardless of their religious affiliation, has expanded its efforts to serve the needsof almost 200 families living on Staten Island and in New Jersey (Gest, 2002a). Initially, thegroup coordinated assistance for meal deliveries, child care, and transportation. Later, volunteersstarted to contact the 221 organizations listed on the World Trade Center Relief Web siteand relay pertinent information back to family members, whom they then helped completenecessary paperwork. From November 2001 through June 2002, the church also scheduledregular meetings that continue today on a biweekly basis (WTCUFG, undated[b]).Although both the WTCUFG and St. Clare’s Committee belong to the Coalition of 9/11Families and both provide support to victims, there are a few important differences betweenthe two organizations. First, the WTCUFG relies heavily on its Web site to maintain groupcohesion and communication among its geographically widespread membership. By comparison,St. Clare’s exclusively local remit means that it can do without a Web site, relying on personalcontact to operate on a more individual level. Second, St. Clare’s Committee is primarilyrun and operated by people who, in fact, were not directly affected by the attacks, in contrastto the WTCUFG, which was founded by a victim’s family member. This distinction makes