HERBIE1

I briefly flipped through those resolutions when I received the magazine, but missed that one. To me, it's simply about getting a foot in the door, with the eventual purpose of gaining a controlling interest, if not a complete take over of that body. No surprise, really. I hate to say it but they have the clout, the numbers, and the political muscle to make this happen. I don't know what the answers are, but it seems to be inevitable.

AK- I agree with your comments about missionary work. Like you noted, they were also providing care, not just trying to convert the "heathens", but in the end, it's still preaching- albeit with the bonus of medical care. I don't know if the people simply tolerate the "God lectures" because they are getting badly needed help, but clearly the folks in charge- the Taliban- are not happy. I liken it to faith based homeless shelters. Many offer food, shelter, and clothing- for a price. They must sit through a lecture/mass/sermon, telling them how the answer to their situation is god. That's fine since the folks who use these shelters know what they are getting into, but many homeless opt not to use these shelters to avoid the religion lectures. These medical folks were killed by the Taliban because they were "spying for the Americans" and "preaching Christianity." Relating this back to the issue of the mosque at ground zero- This is how the fundamental Muslims feel about us and our religion. They KILL people who do not agree with them, yet we are supposed to be tolerant of such a group- ON OUR SOIL, and in the shadow of a tragedy perpetrated by their comrades, in the name of their religious/political beliefs. Sorry, but anyone who defends this mosque is missing the big picture here. I don't begrudge people who feel strongly about their religion and feel the need to "convert" someone to the "right" god. I may completely disagree with the notion of missionary work- as you said, what right do we have imposing our values/religion/doctrine on someone else? Who is to say that "our" way is the "right" way for everyone. That's pretty arrogant, if you ask me. Again, if you feel so strongly about your religious convictions, good for you, but in this case, things turned out badly. It wasn't a case of mistaken identity- the Taliban clearly knew who these folks were and what they were doing. They would rather have folks do without medical care than be exposed to the "wrong" religion and ideals. This is who we are dealing with, this is our enemy, and we would do well to understand what happened to these people. I take my hat off to them and the work they do, but I question the wisdom of injecting religion into their work.

I justified nothing. I said that building a family practice center near a church is not a good idea. That neither justifies a church's right to complain about the clinic, nor some nutjob's decision to bomb it. It was a simple comparison. Just because you CAN do something does not mean it's a good idea.

Have a great birthday, Wendy!

Really? I thought I was pointing out the obvious. So it would be silly to point out that building a liquor store across from a Mormon church would also be a bad idea. I never claimed to be compassionate and tolerant about this situation. I- along with many people in this country- especially those who live in NYC- have a very visceral reaction when it comes to discussing the events of that day. The people responsible for that tragedy- the ones who financed it, the ones who planned it, and the ones who carried it out- are united in one thing- their religious and political beliefs. If this mosque is built, it will reopen the wounds from that day and remind people of who was responsible for 3000 deaths, and why. WAY out of line here, NO evidence to make such an accusation, but I won't respond in kind. In short, you are completely WRONG. I was raised a Catholic, but no longer consider myself practicing.Truth is, I happen to agree with many of the tenets of TRUE ISLAM- I have an ex brother in law who was Palestinian), agree with many ideas of the Druids, and even Buddhists. Maybe I'll start a new hybrid religion, but I digress... Hiding behind a tragedy- no. If I did, I would use the idea of building that mosque to be PC, to prove how tolerant(naive) we are, that would be using it to trample on the feelings of so many who lost their lives on 9/11, as well as anyone else who was touched by the tragedy. Yes, MUSLIMS killed Americans. Have you checked out the history of one particular Muslim- the Iman in charge of that mosque? Have you checked out his comments about the attack? What about his belief that they should be able to apply sharia law in this country for Muslims here? Do you know about his book about 9/11, and his call to da'wah-which is a prelude to jihad? Do you think women will be "tolerant" of a group who supports treating women like property? My thoughts exactly.

These people claim this place is about healing, and fostering better relations between Muslims and the Western world. BULL. If anyone really believes this, I have some slightly damp land for sale down in Florida you might be interested in too. Really? Healing? So how do they plan on doing that? By ignoring the feelings of the tens of thousands of people who were affected by the events of that day? That's a good start. They can build all the mosques they want- just not in the shadow of a site where FANATICAL MUSLIMS killed 3000 people on our soil, in the name of their religion.

I am no religious expert, but Canon law governs churches only. Sharia law is about linking religion, politics, the criminal justice system, and the behavior of people- all aspects of their lives. Not even remotely the same thing. Sharia law does not allow for variations, deviations from their dogma, and anything that violates that law is treated as a criminal offense. Nobody claims Sharia law will take over here- we have far too many sane and rational human beings here for that to ever happen. The problem is, Sharia law VIOLATES our Constitution. It violates laws that people fought and died for.

Well, agree with Obama care or not, it's clear a bunch of people are fed up. They even actually had to bribe people of their own party to vote for it.

Ug- glad to hear your dad is doing better. I hope his recovery is uneventful. I don;t know how long you've been doing this, but I think most of us go through stages in this profession. At first, we're full of juice and ready to save the world. We think our worth as a provider is linked to how quickly we get an IV or intubation, how nice our bandages look, and how quickly we can assess a cardiac rhythm. After awhile, we realize far too many of our calls are not exactly a challenge to our skills and training. Soon we realize that a kind word to a wife or family member, an unsolicited expression of concern can be even more valuable. As you noted, a simple "How are you doing?" might be EXACT:Y what someone needs- not the benefits of our training. Does it make easier to deal with abusers of the system- not always. Some days are easier to handle than others. Such is the way of the business. I found that over the years, if we make multiple trips to the same ER, we can essentially follow up with prior patients we have brought in. Were my suspicions about the patient's problem correct? Did we miss something? I ask the patient or family member questions like- how are they doing? What did they find? What tests have they had done so far? Are they being admitted? The family is ALWAYS genuinely glad that someone cares enough to ask about the patient. They usually make a comment about how busy we are- ("Are you back already?") even if we aren't. I get as much satisfaction from that as I do being able to shock someone's heart back to life. There's a connection there you cannot replace. Nothing like dealing with our own- or a loved one's- mortality to make us introspective, eh? Been doing it myself lately, but no big revelations for me so far. Again- good luck with your dad.

The first amendment - not sure, but lots of other rights will soon be on the line as soon as they open the doors on the new mosque. Sharia law doesn't take too kindly to things like women's rights.

Awesome. So in the interests of being PC, this will create a HUGE amount of trouble. If we're lucky, it will only be graffiti on the mosque walls, but any thinking being knows it will be much worse than that. Congrats, all you liberal idiots.

Reading some of the comments from the posters after the original article, it would seem none of the locals are too happy with that paper.

When will people understand that just because you CAN take a picture/video of something, it does not mean that you should.

Ugly- totally agree with you. Here's the deal- this is political. Democrats do NOT want to piss off the Hispanic vote. They are attempting to be the great benefactors for yet another group, and are trying to make them beholden to them- meaning they are trying to buy their vote by fighting this issue for them. Problem is, many Hispanic voters have political/social/religious views that are not in line with most Democrats(abortion issues, religion, etc) so the left has it's work cut out for them. The opponents of immigrant reform have tried to frame this as folks who are xenophobes, vs those concerned about the rights of others. To me, this is simply about LEGAL vs ILLEGAL. Besides a few hard core racists, nobody is ANTI-IMMIGRANT. Nearly every one of us in this country is here because of a decision our ancestors made to come here. Every day, the residents in border states see the results of unchecked waves of illegals sucking up resources that should be reserved for LEGAL US CITIZENS. Many other areas also see the results of illegals- and not just those from Mexico. Around here, we also have a huge Polish illegal problem. The situation has become critical because although illegals have been a problem for decades, the problem has gone unchecked for so long, we now have generations of illegals who have become established here. We are talking about MILLIONS of people- and the kicker is that if someone is caught, we see kids who will be separated from their parents, and it tugs at our heartstrings. I think we could put a serious dent in the problem simply by rounding up the parents and sending them back home. We hear how all these folks simply want a better life for their kids. Fine. You sneak across the border and are caught, your kids will get a better life here- they get to stay but the price you pay for breaking the law is a one way ticket back home. I'm thinking most parents will rethink their stated notion of wanting a better life for their kids if they know THEY will break up their families and essentially make their children orphans. There has to be a real downside to illegal behavior- whatever that behavior may be- or it will never stop. Otherwise, it's status quo- the rewards have been well worth the risk for decades.

So thanks to this judge's ruling, in essence it's no longer illegal to be illegal in AZ. Personally, I'm boycotting those who boycott AZ. I'm also thinking this judge will be in big trouble when it comes time for her reappointment, since 75% of AZ residents support this law.

Lone Star- Well, religion is all about faith, and by definition, that means there is no proof of any life after death. Either you believe or you do not(or you may simply be waiting for proof). We have yet to see physical evidence other than accounts of folks coming back from the brink. Like you said, I too was bummed that nothing happened- at least that I recall. So- all the accounts (of seeing the light, watching them work on your body, seeing dead relatives, etc) are either man made explanations of biological/physical changes our bodies go through in a near death experience, or maybe it's simply that not everyone gets to recall such experiences.

Interesting you should post this. I believe I have an interesting perspective on the issue. Recently(less than a month ago) I went through MI #2, and had a second stent put in. Here's the deal: Went to the ER, c/o some heartburn- similar to last time. Sat on the ER bed, took off my shirt, and the nurse began hooking me up for a 12 lead EKG. She was asking another nurse if the EKG machine was working, and was assured it was. The next memory I have is lying flat on my back on the bed with a nonrebreather on my face, with a whole bunch of people surrounding me. MD: Welcome back! Me: Where did I go? MD: You went away for a little awhile. Me: Huh? Rn: You were in V-tach for approximately 4 minutes. Doctor: We had to defribrillate you- and I apologize because your chest is so hairy, I burned you a bit. Me: That's OK- I'll let you slide on that. Doctor: You are having a heart attack and we're taking you to the cath lab. You gave us quite a scare. Me: Sorry. Didn't mean to. The stent went well, echo showed no damage, and a recent stress test was not just good, but EXCELLENT per the cardiologist. Starting rehab next week. So, what do I recall from my ordeal? Absolutely nothing other than what I related above. No white lights, no glows, no watching them work on me- NADA. I told the department chaplain I felt swindled. No near death, out of body experience to relate. No earth shattering revelations. No epiphany. NADA. Is it because there is nothing? Is it because I simply do no remember yet and maybe I will someday? I dunno. I am not too concerned- I am what I would call a recovering Catholic. Grew up doing all the rites and sacrements, but no longer practice. Do I believe in God- sure, or some ominpotent being, but I am not yet worried that I had a near death experience and have nothing to show for it. I feel exactly the same as I did before the event- physically, mentally, and emotionally. Other than being MAD AS HELL that I had another MI- despite losing 25 pounds, working out cardio and weights 3x's/week, cooking a heart healthy diet, and getting my cholesterol down to a normal level- I feel fine. The day before I had the MI I was at the gym, did 7 miles on a bike, 2 miles on a treadmill, and 45 minutes of weights- as I have done 2-3 x's /week since the last event. So- to answer the question- I came as close as I want to taking a dirt nap, but I am ambivalent about the whole thing- especially since there's not really a lot we can do about it anyway.

First, thank you for serving our country. Second, I would take a proactive approach to your body art. In an interview, I would say that you have quite a bit of art, and realize it may make patients, family, or other medical staff uncomfortable. Say you plan on covering them up as much as possible to prevent any potential problems. Yes, freedom of expression is fine, and in a perfect wold it should not matter, but you also need to think about who your clientele may be. You could be the best provider in the world- compassionate, skilled, empathetic, caring- but some 80 year old grandma will still have preconceived notions about "guys with tats". We are supposed to make our patients more comfortable, not add to their stress, anxiety, or discomfort. Now if you plan on working in an area filled with young 20 something's, body art and piercings wouldn't even warrant a second look, but you also cannot screen your patients. . I think you have the right attitude. Good luck with your job search.

Well, I can only speak from experience, but our dispatchers are trained as EMT's. That said, I'm quite certain most of them would also have a difficult time even putting on a pair of gloves, much less providing actual patient care. They are trained on paper only. Yes, they are required to do ride alongs for a few hours each year, and even that is like pulling teeth. For whatever reason, they do not WANT to be on the front lines, providing care. Dispatching is an entirely different animal than actually laying your hands on a patient. Their services can be vital in the chain of survival, but just as a field provider may not make the best dispatcher, working on a radio is a different animal. I liken it to firefighters who are trained as first responders or EMT"s. Too many receive the training(and the pay) but for whatever reason, are reluctant to use their skills. If these folks do not like the expectations of being a patient care provider, then maybe they should not be wearing a uniform, and certainly not a patch that signifies their level of training as an EMT. Put them through a dispatcher's course, but not EMT. I never understood the advantage of EMT training for a dispatcher who never uses the skills. Obviously they need to be familiar with medical terminology, but with the advent of computer aided dispatch and triage protocols, medical training is almost superfluous now. Right or wrong, the decision making process has been taken out of their hands and placed in some algorithm that a monkey could follow.

I think I saw that too. Wasn't it on Cinemax, late night???

I think our profession is an example of how women are integrated into the workplace. I agree with Richard- 30 years ago when I started, I also had a husband and wife team who taught my first EMTB (then called A) class. I have no idea what happened to them, but maybe 1/4 of my class was female, even back then. Dons Nomex suit and gets ready for flames... Like any business or job, I don't care if you are a transgendered, one eyed midget, if you can do the job, more power to you, That said, for years, I DID see a difference in the job performance of women. Example- Until the last 10 years or so, I only used 2 man stretchers- the old Ferno/Washington's. Whenever I worked with a woman, there WAS a difference. Most women- yes, there are exceptions- do not have the upper body strength of a man(even a smaller man), which is exactly what you need when loading that stretcher into an ambulance. As a youngster, it wasn't a big deal- you compensated for it, wrestled the rear wheels of the cot into the rig by yourself because your partner simply could not do it. As I put in more time, the shoulders and back began to protest, and I would rue the days when I would have a female partner. Carrying gear- same issue. I realized I was jeopardizing my health and well being. When we finally got the "1 man" cots, it was a gift from the heavens. It equalized the playing field and the physical differences between the sexes on the job were severely reduced. Look- I am a short guy who knows that a pro basketball or football career would have been a silly career choice. It's neither unfair, nor discriminatory, it's just reality. Like Clint Eastwood said- "A man (or woman ) needs to know his limitations." Why is this such a bad thing? Same issue with being a firefighter. I've seen women who are phenomenal at their job, and I've seen many others who are clearly not qualified. Carrying an SCBA, a tool belt, a saw, a pike pole, a hand pump- they simply cannot do the job. Instead of accepting the limitations and differences between everyone, the standards were lowered and accommodations were made for women. That is wrong. Lowering standards does not level the playing field for anyone, it creates an artificial "equality" that helps nobody. Again, I think our business is way ahead of the curve in terms of women in the workplace, and if this documentary shows that, then I'm all for it.

Follow that link to the IDPH. Staffing, protocols, standing orders, scope of practice are quite different in the US. You definitely need to ask some questions.

Well, I should amend my comments. I realize that many folks use their own cars to respond to emergencies so they NEED emergency signals and radios. Those are NOT the people I was referring to.

After 9/11, there was an explosion of FF plates here, which the proceeds going to a memorial fund. Nobody thinks the person driving the vehicle is a FF because anyone can purchase them. The thing that sets apart members of the fire service from supporters or fans are the larger IAFF stickers that go on the window of the car. Additionally, many local chapters have a separate, smaller window decal that signifies their membership in a local union. Simply having an EMS license plate will not mean anything- unless the car also has a light bar, 43 antennas on it's roof, hood, and trunk, flashing grill lights. Those are the clowns who run red lights and drive like idiots, scanners clutched in their hands, trying to be the first to an incident. (BTW- fire fans are exactly the same) Cops can tell a fan a mile away- usually by the number of radios/scanners in someone's car. LOL