Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Thank you 9/11 first responders, and screw congressional bureaucrats

There was a moment in my life when I was involved in a car accident that was so severe that my head was split open and I was knocked unconscious. I could not help myself, and if it were not for the grace of God, onlookers, policemen, firemen and emergency medical technicians(first responders) who airlifted me to a hospital, I would have died. For one second, I want you to think about a moment where you, a loved one, or even just someone you know owes their life to the unselfish and ever alert actions of a first responder.

With that thought in your mind, it is beyond my political comprehension that any man or woman, Democrat or Republican could have the nerve to vote no on a bill for health care for 9/11 first responders. Why, in God's name would Republicans vote "no" to this bill? Because, "the bill would pay for itself by closing a tax loophole on foreign companies with U.S. subsidiaries." In other words, multinational corporations that are exempt from U.S. taxes would no longer have that exemption. And, Republicans aren't in agreement with that.

But the health care bill received a majority vote which would have passed it, but Democratic representatives enacted a special voting procedure which required that the bill get at least a 2/3 majority vote in order to be passed. Why? Because the Democrats felt the Republicans might "try to kill the bill with amendments". What kind of message does this send to every American who is a first responder and even Americans who are simply good Samaritans? First responders get paid for their job, but they take the classes and get the necessary training for their jobs by their own choice. So it seems that the men and women of congress are telling them that they made a poor choice in judgment because of congress's unwillingness to help our own even though the first responders are helping us.

But this isn't a rant. This is a request for you to use your political power to help influence your congressmen. Write your representative by going here. Once you get the address, mail your congressman a letter and ask, no demand that they revive the Zadroga act and then to vote yes. If you don't want to mail a letter, call them instead. We were all so happy to "rock the vote", so here's a chance to make more real change for the people who help keep us alive.

2 comments:

  1. TI, I'm really sorry.
    You should know that I, if anyone, appreciate your efforts and intentions.
    That being said, I must tell you that there is no longer any chance in hell of getting anything whatsoever accomplished by working within the system. They simply won't listen.
    Equally true, it is simply not possible for us to vote our way out of this mess. The system is rigged and there's only one party anyway; the kapitalist party. The party of profit over Life. The party of Mammon.
    The pseudo-government of amerika has been privatized and every politician is simply a paid employee of the corporatocracy. The corporatocracy is an instrument of the international banking cartel. The plutocracy that rules is made up of largely the same families that have pursued global supremacy for centuries. They have finally achieved their goal.
    Unless you know of a way to get at least a hundred million people to unite in common cause, march on washington and stand in solidarity, then you're wasting your time and energy. Even that, given the current conditions, might result in nothing more than the declaration of martial law.
    The best course we can take now is one of non-compliance, passive resistance and non-participation in a system that is evil to its core.
    Starve the beast. Don't spend, don't shop, don't use credit, don't pay your credit card bills and don't drive unless it's absolutely unavoidable. Turn off the TV, turn off commercial radio and go out and spread the word any way you can. We have to show them we won't play their game any more.
    The tipping point has been passed both sociologically and environmentally. Without a truly massive, global rebellion, we are about to enter into a new dark age that could easily lead to the extinction of our species.
    This is the turning point in human history.

    There is no way to Peace. Peace is the Way.
    CWB

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  2. CWB,

    You should know I consider you a friend and you have seen enough of my words to know that I'm idealistic even though reality doesn't always live up to how I think it should be. I know I mailed off 5 letters to congressmen, and I have no clue if anyone else did, but I know three things. One, you just said that I agree with. Two, the only way to enact positive change is by people uniting for a common cause. Three, I know the world isn't as it should be, but I want to keep working to show a few others how it can be. So if one other person mailed one letter, then two people have done what they can to effect change.

    Thank you for reading my words as I keep enjoying reading yours.
    TalentedInk

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