NEW YORK, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- MyGoodDeed.org, a prominent nonprofit
consortium backed by virtually all of the major 9/11 family member and support
organizations, today urged both Presidential candidates to respect the
anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks this year by temporarily suspending
for the day all partisan campaign activities, including advertising with
negative messages about their opponents. The group sent letters to both
candidates expressing these wishes, and plans to send letters to all
Congressional candidates later this month as well, asking them to do the same.
Governors of all 50 states, and the Mayors of major cities also have been sent
letters requesting that they issue proclamations calling for 9/11 to be
observed as a day of voluntary service, and encourage local politicians to
respect the 9/11 moratorium on political campaigning.
"The anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks should forever
remain a day of unity," said David Paine, president of MyGoodDeed.org. "All of
us, including those seeking public office, can best honor the memories of
those lost by engaging in community service and other charitable acts on that
day which help to recall and rekindle the remarkable spirit of unity and
compassion that existed in our country in the weeks and months following the
9/11 tragedy."
"9/11 helped us realize in an instant how insignificant our differences
really are in comparison to our common goodness as human beings and our shared
sense of compassion for those in need," said Alice Hoagland, a MyGoodDeed.org
board member who lost her son Mark Bingham in the crash of hijacked Flight 93
following the heroic attempt by Mr. Bingham and other passengers to wrestle
control of the plan from the terrorists. "It hardly mattered what political
party we supported, or whether we came from a red state or blue state. At that
moment, we were all human beings, and it is important that we find a way each
year on 9/11 to honor that spirit of togetherness and keep it alive."
MyGoodDeed.org is suggesting that, instead of engaging in regular campaign
activity on 9/11, political candidates take the "day off" to perform personal
expressions of service, and to speak in nonpartisan terms about the importance
of building a culture of national service in America throughout the year, not
just on 9/11.
MyGoodDeed.org is one of a number of nonprofit service organizations that
has called upon both Senators McCain and Obama to attend the ServiceNation
Summit in New York City on 9/11 and to present their views on national
service. Senator McCain has said he plans to attend. Senator Obama has not
yet confirmed his plans for September 11.
"As a 9/11 family member, the only good thing that came from that terrible
day was the way our nation came together, however fleeting that moment might
have been," said Monica Iken, founder of September's Mission who lost her
husband, Michael Patrick Iken in the attacks on the World Trade Center. "I
cannot think of a better way to honor the memories of those lost than to put
aside our differences for just a little while and consider what the world
could be like if we preserved that sense of compassion and understanding at
other times throughout the year."
About MyGoodDeed.org
MyGoodDeed.org was founded in 2003 after the terrorist attacks to
encourage Americans and others to observe the anniversary of September 11 as a
national day of voluntary service in honor of the 9/11 victims, volunteers and
rescue and recovery workers. Last year more than a quarter of a million people
from all 50 states and 150 different countries and territories posted good
deeds on the organization's Website, http://www.MyGoodDeed.org. Seed funding
and in-kind support to MyGoodDeed.org has been provided by the American
Express Company, Ambac Financial Corporation, Sony Corporation, Keefe,
Bruyette and Woods, AOL, Google, and Yahoo.
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