[looscannon]

This whole thing makes me so uneasy. Todd Beamer was an middle to upper middle class guy. He probably had life insurance, His company is probably helping out his widow, not to mention all the Charities in play.

I might have felt similarly uneasy when MattS first launched this endeavor. Not so today, however. I believe MattS' effort is honorable and deeply felt; his inspiration was Todd Beamer, and Todd's last known words provided the vehicle MattS needed in order to help the Beamer family. "Let's Roll!" has quickly become a part of our language, a meaningful phrase that inspires our determination to selflessly do what is right and necessary.

I understand your concern about the apparent abundance of help and coverage available to Lisa Beamer. Perhaps she has more than enough. But she strikes me as the kind of person who would share with others anything she could. If she has more than enough money now and gets still more from MattS' coffee mug enterprise, I honestly believe she'll turn around and be charitable with it.

Quick buck artists always emerge from the shadows during times of tragedy, but there are also some who are so moved by the pain and suffering of others that they intently think of ways to be helpful. I think MattS and his coffee mugs hail from here.

[Irma]

But she strikes me as the kind of person who would share with others anything she could. If she has more than enough money now and gets still more from MattS' coffee mug enterprise, I honestly believe she'll turn around and be charitable with it.

A very perceptive comment considering the words from here of Lisa Beamer after taking the same Newark-to-San Francisco flight that her husband took.

"You always need to be cautious; I'd never be so naive to say
nothing could ever happen, but I'm not afraid to fly today," she
said. "I'm cautious and prepared. I want to support our
president in his effort to encourage Americans not to be held
captive by terrorism."

Beamer said she also wanted to take the flight to support the
nation's commercial airlines and to raise money for a
foundation she set up in her husband's memory to help the 22
children who lost parents aboard Flight 93.

She said none of the money would benefit her family, but would
be used "to continue the legacy of courage, character and
faith" that her husband left.

There's a mile wide line drawn in the sand IMO between self-promotion and helping others.  Keen observers know exactly where to stand.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Quick buck artists always emerge from the shadows during times of tragedy, but there are also some who are so moved by the pain and suffering of others that they intently think of ways to be helpful. I think MattS and his coffee mugs hail from here.

So do I. Some people sit on their hands, and others roll up their sleeves. MattS is clearly the latter.

If he had done this to make money, I could understand the concern.

As for Lisa Beamer, we have no way of knowing how well she's doing financially, or what her needs will be in the future. (I heard of one WTC widow who received something in the neighborhood of $30K from the Red Cross, I believe - in NYC, that's nothing.) If the money raised from the sale of this mug is unwelcome or not needed, she can always pass it on to someone else or refuse it.