A little help? (2.0)
Greetings and salutations from the sand, sun and surf of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and the cool, raw, howling wind/rain swept island of Nantucket! Great to be with you and yours on this wonderful weather day up and down the east coast of the United States of America, Friday, October the Second, 2015. Mid-morning here at the Hyannis/Hyannis Port Waterfront(s), the wind and rain are beginning to pick up, as Hurricane Joaquin roars up the Atlantic seaboard, expecting to create chaos in the great states of North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Downeast Maine, after which it will take much of that current category 4 punch out to SEA…
These wicked winds are mirrored in the halls of our hallowed U.S. Congress these days. A cracker jack body of do nothing blowhards, after spewing a lot of patronizing hot air Jon Stewart’s way, did nothing to renew the Zadroga Act–the bill that was finally passed by Congress in 2010 to help pay the medical bills for First Reponder’s of the attacks in New York City, September 11th, 2001. Even after he rallied outside of Capitol Hill, screaming at Congress to get the Zadroga Act renewed (the 4.3 billion dollar price tag for helping those thousands of firemen, police, EMT’s, nurses, doctors and other emergency personnel who suffered acute health problems as a direct result of breathing in and being around all of that toxic dust thrown up by the mysterious, malicious attack on the World Trade Center Towers in 2001; Tower 7 falling on it’s own apparently…), and as of this moment, the bill to renew this vital health insurance has died along with many who suffered before a humane health care supplement was in originally passed in 2010.
Jon Stewart, of “Daily Show” fame (now retired and living the good life in New Jersey, good luck with that hurricane brother!), is to be applauded (once again), for doing what so many others in this great patriotic nation should be doing. Demanding WE do the right thing by our men and women who literally put their LIFE on the line to help their fellow man, many saving lives along the way. Using people’s health and well being (their peace of mind being the most important), as a carrot to pass some other legislation is not only immoral, it borders on the sociopath.
The reality of that horrible day is etched into most American memory banks (those old enough to comprehend terror on “the TV”), ever remembering the day then U.S. President George W. Bush stood on all of that toxic dust, armed with a megaphone, the great symbol of OUR day, and stated loud and clear that not only would we get “them terrorists”, but that WE would make sure everyone was cared for in the aftermath of such a tragedy. Or did I make that up? Such a senseless, needless, waste of human life, promise and future dreams of those who perished that day, that is what, along with those who helped that day, that, that is what WE won’t forget…
All WE can do ‘at this juncture’ is make sure those who helped out and suffered as a direct result of said attack, are offered, given, graciously, the same courtesy.
“I think that’s the fair thing.”
(credit Julie Hagerty from the classic, cult film also starring Albert Brooks, “Lost in America”, circa 1985)
Have a nice weekend and if you are anywhere near this hurricane, keep an eye to the sky!
PRESERVE THE WILDERNESS! Peace~M
