Cape Karen
Just when many people prepare for their quiet years, Maggie Kuhn embarked on the greatest adventure and most important work of her life. In 1970, at age 65, she was forced to retire from her long career with the Presbyterian Church. Kuhn, and a group of her friends in similar circumstances, put their heads, hearts and hands together and founded an organization which became the Gray Panthers.
Kuhn fought off the negative and demeaning attitudes of everyone, from politicians to the managers of nursing homes, who were treating the elderly like 'amusing children,' instead of insisting that they be allowed to sit at the table and have a voice in the important decision-making that would affect their lives.
By 1973, eleven chapters of the Gray Panthers had opened. They received a great deal of public attention, and continued to grow as a well-respected and powerful organization. In 1975, they held their first national convention in Chicago, and in 1990 they opened their public policy office in Washington, D.C.
In an interview, Kuhn described the mission of the Gray Panthers saying, “In the tradition of the women’s liberation movement, the common mission of all the Gray Panther groups is consciousness-raising. Instead of discovering sexism, we discovered ‘ageism’—the segregation, stereotyping, and stigmatizing of people on the basis of their age.”
The core of the Gray Panthers' message is that older people need to seize control of their lives and become more active in the world - working for issues in which they believe. Kuhn's candor, charisma and lively approach, to the needs and problems of the elderly, always drew major media attention. Today, thanks to her group activistism, the Grey Panther organization has come to represent the potential, power and on-going importance of our wise elders. Kuhn's advice to others interested in creating social change shows the strength of her convictions, and her words ring true even today: "Leave safety behind. Do your homework. Put your body on the line. Stand before the people you fear and speak your mind ~ even if your voice shakes. When you least expect it someone may actually listen to what you have to say. Well-aimed slingshots can topple giants."
Kuhn, who continued to play a role in the Gray Panthers until her death in 1995, is considered by many to have started nothing less than a contemporary cultural revolution. She not only redefined the meaning of age but, through her insistence on "young and old together," she helped change the subtle, and not-so-subtle, negative attitudes towards the elderly. She and the Panthers were directly instrumental in enacting significant national reforms ~ including nursing home reform, ending forced retirement provisions, and combatting fraud and abuse against the elderly.
Before her death she wrote an autobiography entitled, "The Life and Times of Maggie Kuhn." She had never married and was able to use her energy, intellect and unflagging spirit by helping to make significant changes for the welfare of the elderly. Speaking about never being married she said, “Many people ask why I never married. My glib response is always, "Sheer luck!" When I look back on my life I see so many things I could not have accomplished if I had been tied to a husband and children."
Just one ' wrinkled, gray-haired old woman' helped to change the face of society. She was a committed, hard-working woman who began an organization that continues her tradition of fighting for a better life for all. Her advice for those who want to make a change in the world: “Go to the people at the top ~ that is my advice to anyone who wants to change the system - any system. Don’t moan and groan with like-minded souls. Don’t write letters or place a few phone calls and then sit back and wait. Get out there and speak your mind."
I hear you, Maggie - I hear you ~ and I celebrate your life!
Since 1997, when Congress first began allowing American drug companies to begin running TV ads for prescription and over-the-counter medications, we have been assaulted by constant advertising from the biggest drug companies (of which there are only a few, btw.) Billions and billions (said in the voice of the late Carl Sagan) of dollars in profits have catapulted CEO's, like Richard T. Clark of Merck & Co., (I call them our "Wall Street drug pushers") into enormous personal wealth.
It's enough to make you sick.
It's bad enough to be unwittingly attacked by these (often disgusting) commercials every five minutes, but, think about it - all the money they're spending each day to run these ads - it would probably be enough to pay off our entire National debt. And, how about the profit margin from their increased sales, as people flock to their doctor's office, demanding these heretofore unknown (by the simple layman) 'miracle cures' ~ like the arthritis medication, Vioxx?
Merck & Co. deployed one of the largest DTC ad campaigns ever on behalf of Vioxx. Some of Merck’s ads made extremely broad appeals, such the tagline “for everyday victories,” for arthritis sufferers who wanted to overcome their disabilities. In 2000 and 2001, Merck spent $295.2 million on Vioxx ads alone; the most for any drug advertised during those years. The magazine, Advertising Age, named it one of its “Top 100 MegaBrands” for 2000. According to a recent study in the British medical journal, The Lancet, one of the most respected medical journals in the world, as many as 140,000 serious cardiovascular events in the United States resulted from the use of Vioxx.
But, weren't they lucky!? Before it was pulled off the market they had already made their ba-illions. And . . . then came "Celebrex." (Whoops ~ they did it again.)
So, if you're ever bored and just want something mindless to do, try counting the number of drug ads in just one night of TV viewing. It's completely ridiculous, (not that I've ever done it - I'm much too busy blogging) and that's not even to mention how annoying they are! I'm over it! (Fortunately, so are you; there's a nationwide movement afoot to stop these obnoxious ads.)
What's really disgusting is how they list all the potential side-effects of the drugs, after the ad runs. Constipated, take...blah, blah, blah - but be prepared - it might give you a rash all over your body, cause you to wheeze continually and result in a possible stroke. And, men, do you have a 'weak stream?' Well, run right out and get your doctor to prescribe some FLOMAX - guaranteed to fix you right up in just ONE week! Oh, but . . . ummm . . . you may suffer from a constant runny nose, and have a decrease in your semen output. God forbid you should worry about those silly little things while fixing your stream! (Who writes these ads anyway?)
Then, there's the fact that if they are getting so rich selling all these drugs where is all the money going ~ besides into their already over-stuffed pockets and into these ads? We know it's not all going into medical research, that's for sure ~ so, it must be going into the packaging. That's important! How it looks on the outside matters because what's inside might kill you ~ even as it relieves your heartburn, eases your jock itch, and gives you a great-big, stand-up-tall, four-hour erection; which, if it lasts too long, (no pun intended) then you'll have to "hop on down" to the outpatient department of your local hospital. (I can just picture men doing that; all doubled-over in their bathrobes. Aaaarrgghh!)
And, what must our kids think when they listen to all these ever-present, drug ads? Are they going to fall prey to this 'fix-it-quick' advertising and believe that taking a drug is the answer to all their problems? Probably! We older folks were 'victims' of the Marlboro man, and look at us today - struggling for breath, living on respirators and dying in record numbers from lung cancer. And, the ads for beer, wine and alcohol; they took their toll, too. Now, they're even 'creeping' those alcohol ads back onto the airwaves again. They must want to encourage our latest batch of kids to discover the 'wonders of drinking' (like they'll need the encouragement?) They make drinking look "so cool." Visit any college campus after classes, or go to Cancun, Mexico during Spring Break Week, and you'll see how well those ads are working.
Yup - these outrageous, continual drug ads are enough to make you sick ~ no matter how you look at it.
So, let's not! (Somehow?)
Our kids probably think that it's always been this way ~ that we've always had the entire world at our fingertips. No, they may not have been born with a silver spoon in their mouths ~ but, for sure, they arrived with a plastic mouse firmly grasped in their little hands. But, what about us somewhat computer-savvy adults? Have we even begun to realize the power and privilege that we've been given by being so globally "connected?" I hear people my age still saying that they don't want a computer in their home . . . that they don't want to "have to learn how to use one." (I have one of those people living here. He hasn't a clue how to turn the thing on, and he doesn't want to know.)
I can understand that. I was once computer-confounded, too. But, I am now forever grateful to my two sons for helping me become somewhat computer literate. (At least I no longer fear that it will blow up if I hit the wrong key.) To those who don't want to learn, or who won't at least give it a try, I would ask: "You don't want instant access to the Smithsonian Institute, so you can visit there without wearing-out three pair of shoes, just trying to explore it all?" "You don't want to be able to visit every National Park in the world, right from your desk, with just a few clicks of the mouse?" "You don't want to be able to look up the answer to any question you have, in less than a minute?" "How about if you need a recipe using avocados ~ real quick?" "Or, what if you wake up tomorrow with strange spots all over your forehead?" (Google: "Spots forehead.")
For example, when I came down with Bell's Palsy in 2000, the doctors I saw in outpatient didn't have a clue what was wrong with me. So, when I finally got discharged, without a diagnosis, I went right to my computer, went to Google, and typed in my symptoms and ~tra-la~ I quickly found out that I had Bell's Palsy. I read all about it on the Mayo Clinic website, and then I sought the treatment I should have gotten after spending an entire day at the hospital. And, they weren't one bit thrilled when I told them that I had found "my diagnosis" on the internet, either! (I got a nasty sneer and a sarcastic snicker. . . but, guess who was right!?)
So, I guess you'd say I'm hooked now ~ 'cause I can't imagine life without having all this helpful information right at my fingertips. Of course, it doesn't always make for great bedfellows when one person is computer addicted, and the other can't even type a sentence. I get these kind of comments all the time: "Are you still on the computer?" "Honey, quick, come see what the cat is doing!" Well, if you'd ever get off the computer . . ." "Did you remember to fill the hummingbird feeder today, or were you too busy on the computer?" "Is my shirt ironed yet, or are you still on the #*x! computer?" And, before I went 'Comcastic,' I used to hear, "I tried calling you earlier, but you must have been on the computer. "
Sigh. He'll never understand. I'm busy! Like the song says, " I've got the whole world in my hands." (And, BTW . . . he can iron his own damn shirt - I'm touring Germany . . . .)
Every week there are reports of government screw-ups, strange behaviors, illegal scams and other jaw-drop, goings-on around the nation; and this week has been no exception. Some of the news reports this week have been so outrageous and so off-the-wall that to not blog about them would be remiss. (The way things are going, this might have to become a weekly column.)
But, gee ~ where do I even begin?
O' hell - I don't have a choice, I've gotta begin with FEMA . . .
. . . A sex-change operation, diamond bracelets, a vacation in the Dominican Republic, adult videos, visits to strip clubs and a damaged home with a graveyard address were just a few of the ways that over a billion of our tax dollars were given away by the agency responsible for managing federal emergencies.
Well, heck - I'm in need of a long-overdue vacation, I'd like a diamond bracelet, and, at age 62, I could really use a face lift. Let's all submit vouchers to FEMA, and see if we, too, can get some of those handy-dandy debit cards (that we paid for) to help with our own emergencies. (Geeeeez - if we'd only known.)
Don't wear dark glasses to a press conference on the White House lawn . . .
. . . especially if it's a cloudy day! You're apt to be singled-out and ridiculed by Mr. Bush. And, you might ask, what if you're a victim of macular degeneration, have cataracts or glaucoma; or if you have any condition that requires you to protect your sensitive eyes from glare? No . . . no . . . don't do it! Not unless you want to get a personal phone call from Dubya himself, apologizing to you. (Hey . . . wait a minute! That might just be worth doing, after all.)
If you are an admitted sex offender, and of small stature, be sure to go to Sidney, Nebraska to commit your crimes.
"Cheyenne County District Judge, Kristine Cecava, sentenced Richard W. Thompson, an admitted child molester, to ten years of supervised probation. While stating that his crimes deserved a long prison sentence, she instead gave him the lesser sentence saying, "Look at you - you're too small to survive in a state prison; I fear for what might happen to you there."
Don't hide the money you may have embezzled in your freezer. . .
. . . even just $90,000 of it, like Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA) did. If anyone can come up with a good reason for a US Congressman to have stashed all that money in his freezer, please let James Carville know. He's been waiting since May for a reasonable answer to that question. ( Perhaps he was afraid it would melt? )
Once you reach the age of 50, and have become the richest person in the world, then you can plan to take some time off and change your life focus . . .
. . . yep - just like Bill Gates, you can 'get right out there' and focus on doing some charitable work.
And, last but not least, please . . . don't lie to your friends and co-workers ~ telling them that you have stomach cancer, and collecting $37,000.00 from them; just so you can go vacationing in the Bahamas . . .
. . . even if you are unfortunate enough to live in beautiful, downtown New Bedford, MA.
(That last one was really hard to stomach; too bad she didn't know about those free-for-all debit cards . . . . )
Have you heard the latest news? New Orleans is sinking! (Well, duh!?) To be fair, the report is that it's sinking faster than was previously known. (Over an inch a year now.) If it's already below sea level, and if it's sinking faster than ever before, then why are we still spending billions of dollars rebuilding there, and even earmarking additional billions for the future? Isn't that called throwing good money after bad? (Oh, yeah, I forgot . . . it's called government spending. Our government 'specializes' in finding creative ways to throw away lots of money; and they're getting really good at it, too!)
But, that's beside the point -
The point is that it's June already ~ that another hurricane season is here ~ and that they still haven't cleaned-up or hauled away the trash in the streets of the Lower Ninth Ward, on the east side of the city, in St. Bernard Parish. As seen during Anderson Cooper's recent CNN report from the area, he showed us that the damaged houses are still sitting on tilt, and that all the trash and debris from the storm is still piled-up and lying around everywhere. And, they say, there are probably some yet-to-be-found dead bodies rotting beneath all the unremoved rubble, too.
The only organizations I've found, that are even trying to help with the clean-up, so far, are the American Red Cross, whose trucks circle the neighborhoods each day, and hand-out cleaning supplies to the remaining residents still living there in tents and in FEMA trailers (some still without power or running water) and the Christian Contractor's Association - "St. Bernard Parish residents who want free demolition of their storm-damaged homes by the Christian Contractor's Association are urged to attend the 10 a.m. meeting Tuesday, June 6th, of the Parish Council in its trailer office behind the parish government building. You must bring proof of ownership." (But, they don't say they will haul away the debris once the home is demolished, do they? We can only hope!)
So what's the problem? Why hasn't it been cleaned-up after almost a year? Don't they know what hurricane force winds will do with all that loose lumber, and to the mountains of debris that are still lying around? Millions of pieces of broken glass, and lots of 2 x 4 flying projectiles, will be launched every-which-way by the strong winds of the next storm. And why is no one trying to locate those lost and buried loved ones? Why are cars still sitting in trees? Why is all that garbage still lying in the middle of the streets? Why are thousands of mobile homes still just sitting and disintegrating in Hope, AR? Why is no one doing anything? The World Trade center debris was cleared, Indonesia has cleaned-up after their massive tsunami, and yet large portions of this "great American city" are still sitting in ruins, filth and disarray ~ complete with the unearthed remains of dead bodies!
Huh? Something's fishy ~ and I have a theory.
I think the government is in cahoots with New Orlean's officials, and I think they have told them to leave all the debris right where it is. After all, there has been no 'call for volunteers' to help clean it up - a call that would have surely been answered by the many people who would have been willing to help. No . . . I think it's being purposely left as it is ~ to make it impossible for the folks who once lived there to return, rebuild and reclaim the land where their homes once stood. I think the city of New Orleans wants that land. (Remember Mayor Nagin's claim that, "God wants this to be a chocolate city." Well, they'll rebuild the city, alright ~ but you can bet Aunt Bessie's cow that they'll be using white chocolate this time around.)
Just watch ~ soon, the city will declare the entire Lower Ninth Ward, and most of St. Bernard Parish, as "irredeemable." Then the government and LA state officials, like the newly re-elected ( how did that happen? ) Mayor Ray Nagin, will take the land by eminent domain. Suddenly, faster than you can say "jack rabbit," they'll bring in crews, clean up the entire area, and clear the land for their own greedy purposes.
I'm not sure I believe that they've got a better evacuation plan in place for this year ~ but I'm darn sure that they've got one heck of an ambitious rebuilding plan in place. They'll eventually use all that land and build a big, new business park; complete with major hotels, lots of motels, clothing and gift shops and even fast-food restaurants. Money, money, money! There'll be no more Lower Ninth Ward 'ghetto' there ~ no siree ~ they'll make darn sure that those remaining, displaced po' folks can never come home to stay.
But . . . the joke might be on them. If the city gets pummeled this year with another big hurricane, and the new levees still aren't finished - then the land will re-flood and all that dangerous debris will go flying. And, if they really don't have a good plan for evacuation (as has been suggested,) ~ whoa! Their 'business park' idea will go right down the drain . . . along with the rest of the city.
Remember, what goes around, comes around, Mayor Nagin. You might be able to fool some of the people, some of the time ~ with your 'winsome personality' and your empty promises ~ but you should know by now that you can't fool with Mother Nature. You've been given a second chance; and I, for one, sure hope you don't blow it this time around.
It's sure going to be interesting to see what the future holds for the great American city of New Orleans ~ as it slowly sinks . . . into the abyss.