Planetfurry BBS

[Elfen_Furry]

"Sherman, set the Way-Back machine to September 11,2001."

I dont care what others have to think about this day, or who's to blame, or why they think their ideals should be placed above others. Anyone who has to argue these point on MY forum will be placed on the Admin's BlackBall & Ban list by my request.

So frak* all that. Now is the time to think and hope, and all was for not. Since that day to about the middle of 2003, all the canine rescue dogs have died from what ever they were exposed to back then. The longer they were there, the faster they died, and today, none exists except for their grown up puppies that were born afterwards.

I spent the first week there, doing what I thought was right, helping out in the rescue, searching for bodies, giving first aide to those who needed it. Equipment was non-existant. Perhaps the fire-fighters had their masks and air tanks, but they were only meant to last 45 minutes in optium condictions. Police and Emergency Medical Workers did not have such equipment. Iron workers who were there, tied their hankerchiefs to their faces, and with the handouts of surgetical masks in the 3rd day or so, nobody had anything. We all might as well have been naked in the winds.

Since last July, the first of the humans were to die from what they were exposed to down there; an Emergency Medical worker, who since then was coughing up blood and bits of gravel and concrete. In December, two fire fighters officers died; same symptoms. This month- a police officer who was there. Several others had also died, but were not mentined because they were not part of that WTC-Rescue Workers Medical list. Neither am I, for I do not want to be labelled as all of my problems stemmed from that day, and in seeing how those on that list are being treated, I'd rather prefer to die as an unknown.

I have seen several friends there, police, firefighters, EMS workers, and several volunteers doing various aspects of the job that was required. We were all there for one thing- to help out, to save lives, to bring out the best in humanity has to give. We did not care about getting paid, to be labelled as heroes, or to have our names scrawled on some list saying what we did in the darkest of hours.

I was there for 5 days. Perhaps that will save me, but I dont know. Everyday I hear in the news or in various internet groups, that there is another 911-rescue worker dying or have died. Hundreds more, sick to the point where they can not work, but are forced to, to earn a living and support their familes. The city council has been holding meetings about what to do with 'us'. The federal gov't has turned their backs and refuse to give, let alone extend benefits to those too sick to work.

If you ever read Dante's Inferno, the description of the entrance of hell only comes so close to describe what was there. Heavy machinery did not arrive at the scene until the following week, days after I left. All the lifting of heavy slabs were all done by hand. Why I left? I started to feel ill working down there, so before I became another victim that would need medical attention, I left to go home to rest and heal. Some followed my lead. Many stayed. To all, I commend their actions there.

Life goes on. I intend to stay on as long as I can for another 60, 80, perhaps 100 years. But as things go, my health has not been 100%. Since 2002, I have been misdiagnosed several times with various ailments, most being immediate life threatening sceneroes. Finally in late spring 2004, it was finally determined: Cancer.

Big freaking deal. Its only a condiction that one goes through, and must fight it in order to survive it. I have been getting treated for it since its discovery, and been hiding it from my family. But as to where I got it, there is no excuse as to not pin point the exact cause.

I'm approaching my remission stage as I write this. A couple more treatments, and I'll be free of this curse, though follow up is going to be a bitch for a while. But like I said, I am not worried about myself. I'm a proven fighter, once I get up and start fighting, I fight to win. I just dont want to get up at times, if you know what I mean.

Its my friends. Its the other rescue workers who were there, a lot longer than I have. Some might be hiding the fact that something inside them is eating away at them. Others may not know about it...

Within the next 5 years, things better change for the better. This not only I am predicting, but also demanding it. We cant go on living the way we do. Money, power, prestige are not the things to be set as goals. Finger pointing at others must not be the learned response for our own actions. 'I Dont Care' can not be the catch phrase, 'Dont sweat the small stuff' can not be the book advise of the year. We have a lot of damage control initiate or we will not be around when 3000 comes along.

All the worlds problems can be solved if everyone all decide to take action to help one another. Space exploration is simple, when all involved takes actions to do what's right to insure the safety of the travellers and not make excuses of how to save a million here and a million there. Computers- the ones you and I use, should not be a battle ground as to what software runs best on who's system or OS they use. When I was growing up, it was said that there were children in Africa who were starving. Now, the children of these children are not only starving, but also accessing their unstable access of the internet with '386 machines!

Ask yourself, 'What can I do?' the answer is so simple, its there in front of you. Technology is only a good as the person who uses it. An old computer in the closet does little good to anyone. Since '92 to until recently, I helped a group that was sending computers to Lithuania. Computers that many donated, some who considered as junk, others I found in the trash. Sending a couple hundred units per year, until the program was shut down late in '04, we must have sever a couple of thousand units over there. Many running the basic Windows systems. About 1/3 were Macs. When Knoppix came around, we sent those CDs along with a hard drive loaded with education software for Windows, and linux sorted software in the CD. To this day, the first of the '286s I sent there is still up and running, doing its thing to make somebody's life better there.

I'm not asking to send computers, or run Linux. I'm not an advocate for those things. I am for helping other out. Do what little you can to help make this misbegotten world a better place.

Though I have been recovering, most cancer fighters and survivors on the forum can tell you the same thing: I have had good days and I have had bad days; the majority has been bad days. Making it worse is that I have lost my job in November, and the lies my former employer has been spreading has make it close to impossible to get another dispite having the skills as computer technician, programmer, designer, educator. But I'm not letting that take me down. I cant, I wont. My former employers will get theirs when that day comes. For now, all I care about is getting this message across to everyone, and least this be my soap box to stand on.

Do well, and do well unto others. Respect is earned as it is given. Trust and Love goes hand in hand, as does sucess and failure, but once all is said and done, at least you can say that you have tried. I know I have.

[Elfen_Furry]

You guys can reply to the post.
I just will not allow this thread to become a political soap box for others to make their own stand.

[Arctic_Mutt]

Elfen,

Best of luck to you with your battle with cancer. I have a close relative going through lung cancer; to say its not easy is the understatement of the century.

I'm not gonna offer any thoughts on Sept 11, cuz it doesn't really matter what I think, and what can *I* say to a furre who was actually "there"? But I will say this about New York:
I had the opportunity to visit the WTC site in NYC last May, and it was probably one of the most moving sites I have ever visited in my short life. Being in the center of one of the world's largest cities, and yet still feeling incredibly eerie and alone. When I was there, one of the surrounding buildings still had visible damage, and that really brings the whole incident close to home. The various memorials in Battery Park about the WTC and the War on Terror were also highlights of the trip for me. New York was always an incredibly dynamic and beautiful city -- and I'm glad to see the events of September 11, 2001, have not changed that in the slightest. Personally, I can without a doubt, say "I love NYC", and I am looking forward to another (albeit waaaay too short) trip there next weekend to visit a high-school friend. May the future be bright for all of you.

[Elfen_Furry]

Two weeks ago, the news reported that the first of the police dogs used to patrol the WTC/Ground Zero area (not part of the actual rescue, but who were there to keep unwanted crowds at bay, so they were some distance from the site itself) died from cancer complications that came from exposure to chemicals and other items that day.

This and severeal human autopsies of firefighters, EMS and Police personnel are being argued that they did from complications of working there. The city refuses to acknownledge any deaths assiocated with working at ground zero, because they would have to pay for services and family support for many years to come.

Yet for us volunteers, there is nothing.