www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News NY Times: Group of Bishops Using Influence to Oppose Kerry

Hi,

Yeah, good one. But if this was serious...

Why would they do that?

We do not support the Israeli invasion of Palestine.

We do not support the interventionist policies of the United States. Neither have surch policies ourselves.

In particular, we were very clear that we did not support this particular war in Iraq.

We have a sizeable community of ethnic Arabs in Mexico, who are quite free to practice (or not)any faith they like.

We are not actively sacking the natural resources of their countries of origin.

We don't bother them, they don't bother us.

We don't do unto others as we would not have them do unto us.

It is quite simple.

Shalom,
Memo.

Hi,

Well, I would know of several eateries in Mexico City that would qualify as biohazards far easier than anything Hussein had to offer, so you may not be all that far away from the truth.

But the real "bio-threat" from Mexico is the combination of your insistence in culturally segregating us (and Hispanics in general), and our much higher birth rate. We do not need to attack, we will just take over.... eventually.

Now, Mexico has a long history of welcoming political refugees, especially when the pesecuting party is the U.S. government or its minions abroad.

However, I do not think those officially labeled as "terrorists" would qualify. If Bin-Laden ever happened to be in Mexico, and if a 6 ft.+ Arab on dialisis was ever suspicious enough to be detained, rest assured, our dear government would surely barter with him for financial aid of one sort or another.

The real risk would be for the terrorist to infiltrate the U.S. using the vast experience crossing the border "discreetly" some Mexicans have.

Immigration is not going to stop, no matter how tough you make it. The only choice you have is whether to control it properly or not, so keep that in mind when you do go to vote.

But then again, as tough as you make Immigration for honest Mexican workers, you make it quite simple for the terrorists. You issue them visas even posthumously.

Today I heard a good one: If Bush cannot even provide enough flu shots, do you think he can actually protect the country against a bio-terrorist attack?

Shalom,
Memo.

Thank you for making that clear. I'll admit it made me nervous for a moment. I don't want to get involved in this thread's argument but I do want to point out that some of us live and/or have family in Mexico City so we might be just a little sensitive to things like that.

Manuel, who was riding the metro in Mexico City only a year ago and hopes to go back soon.

No offense to anyone, but these jabs about the flu shots are getting ridiculous, sad, and are really 'hitting below the belt'. Sorry to be a sourpuss, but I really don't find them humorous.

If the supply for flu shots that we received is tainted, I don't see how that is that is the fault of *any* President, Republican or Democrat.

What I think is that many, many people are uneducated about what the 'flu' really is, and thus, millions of people believe they need the shot, when they really don't.

For instance, the other day, my co-worker, an otherwise educated woman and mother, commented that she once had 'stomach flu'....Stomach viruses, with or without fever, are NOT the flu.

Also, many people think that their bad colds are the flu.

Most healthy individuals and their children do not need the shot, and they should refrain from getting it, in order to allow those with compromised immune systems,a history of susceptibility to flu, and the elderly, to get them. The flu CAN be deadly for them.

Just some thoughts.

In Christ,
Alice

Because you aren't Muslim.

DL

Alice,

And as those who have been paying attention know the shortage is due to a program that Mrs. Clinton pushed through in an effort to keep costs down. It may have been well intentioned but it had the effect of driving all but one drug company in the US out of the flu vaccine business. Now we are dependent upon other countries.

I wonder if Mexico regularly has flu vaccine for its entire populace.

Dan L

I don't think any president has much to do with that. Vaccines are unprofitable for drug companies to make, and the Congress has refused to deal with the problem. I think the solution has to come from Congress, since it's outside the scope of the President's job.

We need to get control of our borders. I don't see how we can ever have any safety until we do. Immigration needs to be controlled legally. Do we really want to become a collection of peoples with no common culture or language? If I recall history, that was one of the factors that destroyed the Western Roman Empire. I am all for giving Mexican workers visas or whatever documentation they need to work in the U.S., then return home. Contrary to popular belief, all of Mexico does not want to move to the U.S. That the whole visa program is totally fouled up is news to no one. It's been that way for years.

I have never understood the point in moving somewhere else then whining about the awful culture you find yourself in. In the parish where I play, we have welcomed Hispanics with open arms. But I have to admit, they often do not return the good will. They are more clannish than even the Ukrainians, if such is possible. I, for example, love being an American. I wouldn't think of moving to say, Germany, and insisting all the Germans junk their culture and become like me. That's ridiculous.

Hi,

If that was their only drive, they would be attacking everybody everywhere.

But they are not.

Shalom,
Memo.

Hi,

No, because it is not a major health issue.

We have more moderate weather, and we properly clothe our young and elderly, even in the more moderate weather.

We do have a basic vaccination scheme, following the European standards, not the American ones, and those vaccines are available to everybody, free of charge, and I have never heard of any shortages.

Here in the U.S. I have an HMO plan paid by my employer (I do have to pay for my family's plan). It covers some things, it doesn't cover others.

If I was to compare the quality of the services I receive here from my healthcare providers, I'd say they could be roughly compared to those provided by the Mexican government institutions (IMSS or ISSSTE, for those who know), except that in Mexico, doctors are not afraid of lawsuits, so they actually diagnose and treat their patients, unlike here where the most you get for every-day illness are symptomatic remedies that only help you wait while your own body does the work.

For instance: In Mexico, my colitis was treated with a drug that actually relaxed my bowels, killed the pain in a matter of minutes and finished the episode in a couple of days, max. Here in the U.S., I cannot get that drug, because in 0.0001% of the test cases it produced drowsiness, so it is not FDA approved, so what I do get is sleeping pills (which can be addictive) and Belladona infusion, which WILL get me drowsy (that's the point, the only point: get high and forget the pain), could be lethal if I OD, and does nothing about the actual problem (the bowel).

Yes, when you need a highly sophisticated piece of medial equipment, the availability of those in the United States cannot be compared with anything anywhere else.

When all you need is a caring, competent physician..... people living in the U.S. are generally out of luck.

As they stand, the only thing the Mexican healthcare system has to envy the American is budget. In every other aspect, Mexican healthcare is at least comparable, if not far superior.

Shalom,
Memo.

Hi,

That is because you are young and you do what you please.

Just as it happened to St. Peter, the day will come when that will be but a happy memory.

Have you ever considered that your well-intentioned gestures have been misunderstood by people with a different cultural background?

Yes it is. This is not what I was talking about. The cultural segregation I mentioned consists not in your unwillingness to become Hispanic just because I moved here. Actually is the other way around: No matter how hard I try, or for how long, I will never be an American.

Yes, in a few years I will be an Amercian Citizen, yes my children have already lived in the United States more than they did in Mexico and accordingly, they display more prominently American cultural strokes than Mexican.

But we are, and will always be, Mexicans. Maybe Mexican-Americans, but never, ever simply Americans.

Take a survey, almost any survey. The question about your ethnic/national origin may have many possible answers, and one of those will be "Decline to answer". However, there will be another question asking you if you are Hispanic and it is a straight, Yes/No question, no option to decline.

Why?

Because the segregation rules in fashion today are not based on the pantone color code of your skin as they were 30 or 40 years ago, but rather in the simple, binary question about your being a member of this or that group. Right now, being Hispanic is one of those critical questions. Being a Muslim, or of Arab ethnicity is becoming one as well, but society takes time to absorb these things.

Shalom,
Memo.

I don't think 56 is considered young - wish that it were. My point was that I wouldn't want to live in a place if I didn't like it there.

Charles

Responsibility for the vaccination program lies with the executive branch, which is headed by the President. While the fault may not be his the responsibility is; that's where the buck stops. Too many excuses and too little responsibility;

From the pen of George Will.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/w...tentId=A64323-2004May3&notFound=true

The Congress is going to have to come up with some funding on vaccines. I read a few days ago that one company - I think it was Wyeth, but don't hold me to that - exited the flu vaccine market because it had 8 million unsold doses last year and couldn't afford losses on that scale. There is going to have to be some financial incentive to get other companies interested in re-entering that market, and for the development of newer technologies to produce the vaccine. There are problems with vaccines overall, it's not just flu shots.

Actually, the reason that American firms do not want to manufacture the flu vaccine, is because they are fearful that if something goes wrong, they will have to undergo large law suits. It all goes back to 'tort' reform...something that we will definitely not have if Kerry is president.

I was shocked yesterday, when reading an article on the BBC. Now I know they are tainted and 'liberal', as is CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN etc. (Thank heaven for FOX). But the way they stated the vaccine shortage was simply too much.

They wrote that people are lining up for flu shots because of shortages, etc. In the same context, they mentioned the elderly, and those that are succeptible to sickness', never stating that there is enough flu vaccine for children as well as the elderly and those in need.

Shame on them!

Zenovia

Untrue. Here an abstract of a pertinent scientific article to help with facts:

I don't have time now to find a link, but IIRC, notwithstanding the facts - low liability, rarity of adverse effects, lack of consensus among stakeholders, NVAC recommendation - the congress passed legislation extendeing this liability limitation to influenza this year. The bill awaits the president's signature - although perhaps, following the recommendations of the scientific staff, rather than the political staff, he might be against it.