5/19/07 - 3 dead first responders, color this post RAGE!
Again it has been a while since I have sat down and written in this journal. This is a combination of illness and because the 'scene of the '9/11 illnesses' has sorta blown up. (And if this was blowing up for the better, I wouldn't need to be writing).
On the personal health front, things are not well. Even though we tried to make the preemptive strike on the seasonal allergies before they complicated the COPD, this (as my luck would have it) is one of the worst allergy seasons on record. So even with the addition of allergy medications, the shortness of breath upon anything has gotten worse. This sucks. I have spent all winter looking forward to one thing - warm weather! And now that it has arrived, I'm still miserable. So, if your keeping score at home, add spring and seasonal allergies as a complicating factor to COPD.
This has lead to 'other complications' such as the frustration factor of those around me that seemly have also been 'waiting for the warmer weather' for me to be able to re-become like my old active self. As a prognostication - I'm not holding out much hope for the hot and humid weather that is on its way. So I think at this point, I've got all the eggs in the 'Autum' basket.
Now if you were wondering about the title of this post, and the 'color' - I shan't make you wait any longer. Three men (2 cops and a firefighter) who were involved in 9/11 have passed away over the last 3 weeks. And besides the obvious anger at this happening, while the city and government does exactly nothing about it; the RAGE part comes from the way that these story's were reported to the public via the media.
On May 8Th, NYPD Detective, Kevin Hawkins, died of kidney cancer that PBA officials state; "they believe can be traced back to the exposure to toxins at Ground Zero". This story was reported on page 42 of the Daily News.
On May 14Th, NYPD ESU Detective Williamson, died of pancreatic cancer that the police surgeon is quoted as saying (and I love this one!); "NYPD Supervising Chief Surgeon Eli Kleinman would not comment specifically on Williamson's death."As far as we know, there are no particular cancers in the medical literature related to 9/11," Kleinman said. "We're following it very closely." (Is that not fucking classic?) This story was reported on page 20 of the Daily News.
On May 18Th, FDNY Firefighter Sal Priniotta, died of "lung complications" that he apparently didn't have before 9/11. This story was reported as a Obituary entry ONLY. In Newsday!
Here is where we get the color RAGE!
These deaths - which in my opinion are classified as L.O.D.D. (line of duty deaths) are relegated to no higher than page 20 of the local publications, and the F.F.'s death - didn't even rate a story! Now rest assured that had any of these men been arrested for DWI or some sort of domestic abuse case -----that this would have been headline news. Oh and I can just see the headline now; "9/11 Hero Found Driving Drunk" or "W.T.C. Hero Beats Spouse".
OK OK, now I'm not naive enough to not know that scandal sells a shit load more papers that the 'aw that's too bad story', but why the hell isn't the media picking up on the scandal that's sitting right in front of them? Hell! I can even write the headline for them; "Bloomberg Fiddles While Heroes' Die". Hows that for catchy? I know I've mentioned it before that I consider the 'key' to this whole problem to be apprising the population at large to the exact extent of the problem, and then you will see the uprising and calling for 'the right thing to be done'. But how are we supposed to do this when the stories of our deaths keep getting pushed farther and farther back into the recesses of the papers???????
So today, I am outraged, I am sick, I am FED THE FUCK UP. And if I haven't mentioned it already, I am a person who loves quotes. Well today I've got a doosey for all of you and it comes from the sage words of TS Elliot:
"There comes a time in every normal man's life; where he must abandon all reason, run up the black flag, and begin slitting throats!"
In writing this, I want all reading to understand that this is a figurative call to action. This society is born of fire and set up to be a 'nation for the people, by the people'. Now for anyone that's having a hard time placing the significance of this statement in a very tame 2007, allow me to insert my own interpretation; this place - these United States, was supposed to be based on a system of government where the people elected representatives to represent them. Where did this type of government go? I have an idea, once things here got cushy enough that people had food to eat and roofs over their heads - they stopped caring about the process altogether. Hence, those that were supposed to represent us - now took the opportunity to represent themselves, their buddies and most importantly - those who put a lot of money into their collective pockets! Now don't misunderstand me here - the fault does not lie with the politicians; rather the blame needs to be squarely placed on the shoulders of me and you and everyone else - - - because the second we got too lazy to be up in the face of the people that we elected to represent us, we allowed them to begin bending us over.
So here's my challenge - all of us who are lazy and sated by the lives we enjoy in the U.S. and particularly in NY where the standard of living ain't all that bad - can we interrupt our daily lives and spend some time in the faces of the people who are supposed to be taking care of us???? Can we make the phone calls to the mayor who's phone number is listed, can we write and send emails to the Governor, Congress members, Senators and President?? Can we put our opinion into words and send them off to the papers, TV and radio stations that are either ignoring this plight suffered by so many or banish the story's to pages near the classified ads? Or will we wait until it happens to you or someone we know until we get our ass in motion? And how many people will have died by then? And will we be able to live with ourselves when we look back and see what we didn't do.
I know the answer for myself - this COPD and pancreatitis may kill me sooner than I would like; but so help me GOD I will go down swinging!
On the personal health front, things are not well. Even though we tried to make the preemptive strike on the seasonal allergies before they complicated the COPD, this (as my luck would have it) is one of the worst allergy seasons on record. So even with the addition of allergy medications, the shortness of breath upon anything has gotten worse. This sucks. I have spent all winter looking forward to one thing - warm weather! And now that it has arrived, I'm still miserable. So, if your keeping score at home, add spring and seasonal allergies as a complicating factor to COPD.
This has lead to 'other complications' such as the frustration factor of those around me that seemly have also been 'waiting for the warmer weather' for me to be able to re-become like my old active self. As a prognostication - I'm not holding out much hope for the hot and humid weather that is on its way. So I think at this point, I've got all the eggs in the 'Autum' basket.
Now if you were wondering about the title of this post, and the 'color' - I shan't make you wait any longer. Three men (2 cops and a firefighter) who were involved in 9/11 have passed away over the last 3 weeks. And besides the obvious anger at this happening, while the city and government does exactly nothing about it; the RAGE part comes from the way that these story's were reported to the public via the media.
On May 8Th, NYPD Detective, Kevin Hawkins, died of kidney cancer that PBA officials state; "they believe can be traced back to the exposure to toxins at Ground Zero". This story was reported on page 42 of the Daily News.
On May 14Th, NYPD ESU Detective Williamson, died of pancreatic cancer that the police surgeon is quoted as saying (and I love this one!); "NYPD Supervising Chief Surgeon Eli Kleinman would not comment specifically on Williamson's death."As far as we know, there are no particular cancers in the medical literature related to 9/11," Kleinman said. "We're following it very closely." (Is that not fucking classic?) This story was reported on page 20 of the Daily News.
On May 18Th, FDNY Firefighter Sal Priniotta, died of "lung complications" that he apparently didn't have before 9/11. This story was reported as a Obituary entry ONLY. In Newsday!
Here is where we get the color RAGE!
These deaths - which in my opinion are classified as L.O.D.D. (line of duty deaths) are relegated to no higher than page 20 of the local publications, and the F.F.'s death - didn't even rate a story! Now rest assured that had any of these men been arrested for DWI or some sort of domestic abuse case -----that this would have been headline news. Oh and I can just see the headline now; "9/11 Hero Found Driving Drunk" or "W.T.C. Hero Beats Spouse".
OK OK, now I'm not naive enough to not know that scandal sells a shit load more papers that the 'aw that's too bad story', but why the hell isn't the media picking up on the scandal that's sitting right in front of them? Hell! I can even write the headline for them; "Bloomberg Fiddles While Heroes' Die". Hows that for catchy? I know I've mentioned it before that I consider the 'key' to this whole problem to be apprising the population at large to the exact extent of the problem, and then you will see the uprising and calling for 'the right thing to be done'. But how are we supposed to do this when the stories of our deaths keep getting pushed farther and farther back into the recesses of the papers???????
So today, I am outraged, I am sick, I am FED THE FUCK UP. And if I haven't mentioned it already, I am a person who loves quotes. Well today I've got a doosey for all of you and it comes from the sage words of TS Elliot:
"There comes a time in every normal man's life; where he must abandon all reason, run up the black flag, and begin slitting throats!"
In writing this, I want all reading to understand that this is a figurative call to action. This society is born of fire and set up to be a 'nation for the people, by the people'. Now for anyone that's having a hard time placing the significance of this statement in a very tame 2007, allow me to insert my own interpretation; this place - these United States, was supposed to be based on a system of government where the people elected representatives to represent them. Where did this type of government go? I have an idea, once things here got cushy enough that people had food to eat and roofs over their heads - they stopped caring about the process altogether. Hence, those that were supposed to represent us - now took the opportunity to represent themselves, their buddies and most importantly - those who put a lot of money into their collective pockets! Now don't misunderstand me here - the fault does not lie with the politicians; rather the blame needs to be squarely placed on the shoulders of me and you and everyone else - - - because the second we got too lazy to be up in the face of the people that we elected to represent us, we allowed them to begin bending us over.
So here's my challenge - all of us who are lazy and sated by the lives we enjoy in the U.S. and particularly in NY where the standard of living ain't all that bad - can we interrupt our daily lives and spend some time in the faces of the people who are supposed to be taking care of us???? Can we make the phone calls to the mayor who's phone number is listed, can we write and send emails to the Governor, Congress members, Senators and President?? Can we put our opinion into words and send them off to the papers, TV and radio stations that are either ignoring this plight suffered by so many or banish the story's to pages near the classified ads? Or will we wait until it happens to you or someone we know until we get our ass in motion? And how many people will have died by then? And will we be able to live with ourselves when we look back and see what we didn't do.
I know the answer for myself - this COPD and pancreatitis may kill me sooner than I would like; but so help me GOD I will go down swinging!
posted by Iloveny_marf @ 10:03 AM
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