Posted on 09/22/2001 8:20:51 AM PDT by Nita Nupress
Maybe we should start an on going symptom thread for early detection...(kidding-sort of)
Has anyone ever heard of it?
Unless it was a rerun, an hour ago CNN said that the FBI (FAA?) is prohibiting cropdusters from flying again tomorrow. The newsperson said at least two times it was an "update," so I'm assuming that wasn't old news. They said that so far it's only for tomorrow. What kind of sense is that? Either there's a problem or there's not!
This next one is probably the best article so far. The target audience is emergency room physicians and it was published in a peer-reviewed journal in Feb, 2000. The author, G. Moran, has appeared before Congress, if I'm remembering correctly. (I'll double-check and come back to correct that if I'm wrong.)
It's a done deal that the crop dusters were grounded because of football.
To be honest I think the threat may start to diminish but I'll be on the lookout. I'm downwind from Ft. Dietrick.
If they are going to do a laydown it will probably be chemical (high probability/low risk) and it will need to be a wide spread (non-communicable) and it will need to be airborn.
I think we're over the hump. But I could be wrong.
You can go to www.agaviation.org. Sorry I don't know how to link. Latest is until 12:05 Monday. Go there and click on message.
When I see replies like yours, my first inclination is to stop posting this kind of information and let everyone "fend for themselves," so to speak. After all, as nunya bidness states, the relative chances of a bioterrorist attack happening to any one given person is remote. Even if the terrorists succeeded in committing such an atrocious act, the chances it would "happen to me" are probably low, especially if I don't live in New York or DC. My intent is not to scare anyone or cause anyone to lose even one minute of sleep over this and it bothers me if someone does.
The reason I posted the articles is because of my philosophy about this kind of stuff: Knowledge is a good thing and allows one to have at least a small measure of control over his fate (although God has the ultimate control). This "sense of control" over your environment can go a long way in relieving the anxiety that comes from watching FoxNews & MSNBC all weekend tell us about new arrests, cropdusting manuals and hidden boxcutter knives.
Basic knowledge allows one to make basic preparations, and basic preparations in turn tend to put one more at ease. Somehow, the idea of a respiratory biological agent turned loose on the public is not quite so frightening if you know you can reach in your closet for your gas mask. The Israelis have lived this way for years. I think we'd better start getting used to the changes brought about by the collapse of the WTC towers and start making some small adjustments to our lives to adapt to these changes.
It stands to reason that once someone acquires knowledge about bioterrorism, he has the option of taking positive, proactive steps to prepare for contingencies. And that's the tricky part: If he doesn't, he may experience even more anxiety. And of course, the part that's out of my control here is what the reader does once he's read the information and acquired the knowledge. ;-)
Many people (perhaps most) would rather not even know about these types of things because it just causes too much anxiety. I can respect that approach to life and don't want to intrude on anyone's method of coping. But what these people don't realize is that this allows the terrorists to "win" without even doing anything. With something as serious as bioterrorism, the words "out of sight" are probably not equivalent to "out of mind." The suppressed anxiety is still there, it just manifests itself in some other way!
With all that in mind, I've decided to post some information so people won't be so anxious about this...
Maybe this will help: For gas masks (don't forget replacement filters)
cheaperthandirt.com 1-800-421-8047 (they're sold out, but this is the only company I can vouch for. Call for update.)
http://www.emergencyresources.com/er_p17.html
http://www.safetyl.com/slstore/riot/gasmask.htm
http://www.fords-mtm.com/milsurp/gas_mask_update.htm
More here: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22gas+mask%22+order++&btnG=Google+Search
For antibiotics, you can:
-Get them from an aware, friendly doctor (highly recommended but sometimes hard to find unless you know one who trusts you. They can't just go around dispensing antibiotics to everyone because there's the potential for abuse.)
-Order them online from an overseas pharmacy (you may get ripped off unless you ask around for references first. I don't have any.)
-Take a trip across the border to Mexico (no prescription required; they're cheap & made by the same US manufacturers)
-Go to your local pet supply shop and get the fish antibiotics (I'm not recommending this--proceed with extreme caution!)
Remember, the odds are that you won't even need any of this stuff. ;-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.