Nobody's Hero
NYPD Detective James Zadroga died recently of a lung ailment. Zadroga was a decorated officer who was a September 11 first responder, then toiled at Ground Zero for more than 400 hours in the weeks after the attacks. Autopsy findings initially indicated that Zadroga used illegal drugs, which may have contributed to his death (his family is disputing the findings).
Enter New York Mayor Micheal Bloomberg, who had the following to say about Zadroga's death and possible drug use:
"We wanted to have a hero. There are plenty of heroes. It's just that in this case, the science says this was not a hero."
After some public backlash, Bloomberg's now walking back his words. But his initial reaction (particularly from an admitted pot smoker) is awfully telling.
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To those of you who live in NYC: Why are you still there?
The "science" says he was "not a hero?" Because the guy used drugs??? So much for more than half of Carlyle's Men of Lettters that he thought were a "hero."
To those of you who live in NYC: Why are you still there?
I got out after just one year of Mayor Mike.
I don't think people realize that Mikey is far worse than Rudy. Rudy is an authoritarian ass, but he is your normal power-complex douchebag (prosecutor). Mike is a billionare who is absolutely convinced that he knows everything (how else could he have amassed billions?), and he will arrange your life for you for your own good if he can.
Just the fact that he can completely dismiss a person's brave actions because they took some drugs is indicative of his views of people's character.
Michael Bloomberg admits to smoking pot. While we all wanted NYC to have a good mayor, the science says he isn't.
That's funny, I had a dream last night that I walked by Bloomberg in a subway station and accidentally knocked him onto the tracks.
(incidentally, that's why Randolph (aka "Muddleberry Boy") still uses rubber sheets)
******************
Comfort and condolences to Officer Zadroga 's family, friends, and loved ones.
Too bad Mayor Guiliani was too busy trying find the exit out of his temp hdqtrs on Barkley to radio Officer Zadroga to let him know the buildings were coming down. Then we wouldn't have to have this discussion.
Then we wouldn't have to have this discussion.
well, I take back that part. Even if Mayor Guiliani had warned the responders before the collapse, Officer Zadroga would still have been in the toxic cloud after the collapse. Still . . . whole thing stinks.
It would send the wrong message to the children if we acknowledged all the good work he did now that we know he was a closet dope fiend. Remember kids, one puff off a joint makes you low life scum and nothing can restore you to the good graces of civil society. Save a billion dollars of course.
But last week the family revealed that Hirsch concluded that the particles found in Zadroga's lungs came from ground-up pills injected intravenously
Does this make sense to anyone else? What kind of pills can be "ground-up and injected"? I know almost any pills can be ground up and injected, but there's an intermediate step of dissolving them in water. So maybe that's what they meant, but then why refer to them as "ground up"? Also, has anyone ever heard of injected drugs resulting in "particles in the lungs"?
There DaveW goes. He supported Giuliani and the War until he was convinced by others not to be. He still gets confused as to which talking points he should use.
Warren -
Wow. never heard of that - will check it out!
What kind of pills can be "ground-up and injected"?
Oxycontin is often ground up and snorted to bypass the timed-release effect of the pills and get the full dose in one blast. That could also result in particles in the lungs.
I've never heard of it being injected, but there's no reason it couldn't be. However, this Hirsch person seems to be a fucking idiot if they are going with injection when snorting is common and would result in lung particles.
So let me get this straight.
Doing something illegal, especially drugs, completely undoes any heroic act? Wouldn't want to send the message that dope fiends can actually be productive members of society or anything, would we?
Wow... how did my name get to be that? The 10:08 posting above is mine.
Fuckin' A. What a world we live in.
VM,
I may have rubber sheets but at least I'm not a perfidious Hamiltonian. Green mountains beat arctic tundra...
A junkie pack I ran with back in the '80s would grind up pills for injection
"dilaudid" was the drug
Most things do, Randolph! Most things do!
I've said it before and I'll say it again. All our founding fathers, astronauts, and World Series heroes have been either drunk or on cocaine. Get your damn head out of the sand, Bloomberg.
My favorite musician was Charlie Parker, until I found he was a dope addict. Now, he is the worst musician in jazz history.
Before Rush Limbaugh got busted, he was a real American her... No, wait, he was still a douchebag.
Doing something illegal, especially drugs, completely undoes any heroic act?
Don't you remember Mark Anthony's eulogy for Caesar?
Don't you remember Mark Anthony's eulogy for Caesar?
No, but I bet Ron Paul does, cause he's SoOld!
Haha!
Buzz Aldrin was a drunk. That Apollo 11 stunt don't mean shit! Right Mikey?
So there's this guy. Let's call him "X". He somehow sacrifices his life in some brutally gruesome way to save the planet from destruction. Later on, it's proven that X used illegal drugs.
Hero or not a hero?
"We wanted to have a hero. There are plenty of heroes. It's just that in this case, the science says this was not a hero."
I hate, hate, hate that fucking asshole. It's enought to prompt fond memories of Giuliani-time....
To those of you who live in NYC: Why are you still there?
Because everywhere else I've lived makes me want to claw my eyes out?
So there's this guy. Let's call him "X". He somehow sacrifices his life in some brutally gruesome way to save the planet from destruction. Later on, it's proven that X used illegal drugs.
Are you talking about Michael Biehn?
My favorite musician was Charlie Parker, until I found he was a dope addict. Now, he is the worst musician in jazz history.
I love Jazz, no wait now that I found out that lots of Jazz musicians use(d) MJ, I guess it sucks.
Thomas Edison used cocaine, I guess the light bulb wasn't such a bright idea after all.
Episiarch,
No. I find him annoying. Besides, no actor could possibly sacrifice his ego for humanity, let alone his life.
i don't think bloomberg is worse than giuliani but he's gives out infinitely more douche chills per square inch.
So there's this guy. Let's call him "X". He somehow sacrifices his life in some brutally gruesome way to save the planet from destruction. Later on, it's proven that X used illegal drugs.
Spike in the Buffy finale? Ahnuld in T2 ("It's not a drug. It's a leaf.")? Willem Dafoe in Platoon? Jackie Boy in Sin City?
Well, that settles it! Science! tells us who is and isn't worthy of our respect.
What does Bloomberg know about science? Science asks questions...it seldom provides easy answers to simplistic, binary questions as the mayor and other simpletons might wish.
Drug use is not a moral issue...it's a dosage issue.
I guess I'll have to turn in my medals and my airborne wings.
Ted "Theodore" Logan?
Thomas Edison used cocaine, I guess the light bulb wasn't such a bright idea after all.
My favorite musician was Charlie Parker, until I found he was a dope addict. Now, he is the worst musician in jazz history.
I guess I'll have to turn in my medals and my airborne wings.
Edgar A. Poe, opium addict. Burn those books, dammit.
Captain Kirk drank illegal Romulan Ale.
Captain Kirk drank illegal Romulan Ale.
Picard would have reported him. Picard drinks Earl Grey, the pansy.
THE SHAT = CANADIAN. NUFF SAID!
Along with the HANSON BROTHERS, Dief the Chief, and ALAN THICKE!!!!!!!!!!!
"Drug use is not a moral issue...it's a dosage issue."
well spake!
Charlie Parker? Hell, are there any jazz or rock musicians who could be listened to if you excluded the ones who did drugs?
Minor Threat, Fugazi & the other straight edgers are the only ones who come to mind.
Hell, are there any jazz or rock musicians who could be listened to if you excluded the ones who did drugs?
Well there is Ted Nugent. Oh you said "who could be listened to." Never mind.
Well there is Ted Nugent.
I'm still not totally convinced he's a real person...
Taktix - he sher is real! EDDIEEEE told me so. At least someone claiming to be EDDDIEEE did. He was dripping with korn syrup... does that clear it up for you?
Well there is Ted Nugent.
I'm still not totally convinced he's a real person...
The Nuge isn't real. He's realer than real, man.
Oh, and Miles Davis was a heroin addict until he kicked it himself cold turkey.
VM,
Dammit, I was wondering where my 4-year supply of korn syrup went!
EDDIEEEE promised that, if I gave him the supply room key, he'd only use it for his little "Ookie Cookie" Club.
That's the last time I'll trust an Ookie Cookie'r!
the science says ...
Get used to this phrase. I have a feeling it will be abused often and very blatantly in coming years.
the science says ...
Get used to this phrase. I have a feeling it will be abused often and very blatantly in coming years.
I'll be in the bathroom, practicing rolling my eyes.
Can we just get started now spelling it "teh science"?
R C Dean,
I think its, "Teh Scienzorz!!!111!!1111!1!"
I had heard that Einstein smoked the weed. Is this true?
Taktix? | November 2, 2007, 9:10am | #
To those of you who live in NYC: Why are you still there?
I think the only appropriate answer to this is = "Go fuck yourself"
Only people who live here have a right to bitch.
Maybe just to add to the pile..
"That guy who pitched a perfect game on LSD?... I guess it wasnt so perfect after all..."
The Nobel Committee should revoke Kary Mullis's 1993 Prize in Chemistry, since he uses LSD. This would send the right message to the kids. We should also look into outlawing the polymerase chain reaction in DNA research, since Mullis was awarded his Prize for it.
Only people who live here have a right to bitch.
Not when you inflict shit like Giuliani on the rest of us, bro.
Anyone here remember the movie Turk 182...
Only people who live here have a right to bitch.
It therefore follows that people in New York don't have a right to bitch about the rest of the country! Cool! When y'all gonna shut the fuck up?
Just asking.
Can I bitch about all the former NYC residents who have relocated to Tampa?
Pro Lib - VFT.
"Well there is Ted Nugent. Oh you said "who could be listened to." Never mind."
i think "stranglehold" is a frigging rock classic. that is a great song.
as for dilaudid? great movie - drugstore cowboy
i think "stranglehold" is a frigging rock classic. that is a great song.
Motor City Madhouse was cool as well. That whole album was real good. But it's been what? 30 years now? Far too long too rest on your laurels.
Balko has it wrong. Zadroga did not use illegal drugs. He had a prescription for OxyContin, and more than a dozen other medications according to news reports.
He had those prescriptions because he was dying of respiratory disease. I wouldn't be surprised if there's an angle to the story where the pain killers ceased to be effective and the grinding of the pills was an attempt to alleviate terrible pain. Which makes Bloomberg even more of an asshole.
Bloomberg has a history of dissing the recently departed. Remember what he said about Atkins?
Hell, are there any jazz or rock musicians who could be listened to if you excluded the ones who did drugs?
"If you don't believe drugs have done good things for us, do me a favor, go home tonight and take all your albums, all your tapes all your CDs and burn 'em, 'cause you know what? The musicians who made all that great music that's enhanced your lives throughout the years were real fuckin' high on drugs."
-- Bill Hicks
Wow. "The science says" this guy wasn't a hero? I like how he uses science as a cover for his moralistic assholizing. What a dick.