COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.- Funny story. KOAA was covering the community thank you given to the firefighters returning from the Waldo Canyon Fire last night. Members of Occupy Colorado Springs joined the crowd with signs calling attention to the fact that many of the firefighters don’t have healthcare benefits. The Channel 5 reporter instructed his cameraman to avoid filming those signs, including one which read “WE SUPPORT THE FIREFIGHTER’S UNION” which incidentally, got a lot of thumbs up from the passing fire crews. Local TV crews will extend adulation for the wildfire-fighting heroes, but their conservatism has limits. Don’t you think the rigors of firefighting, and exposure to unknowably toxic smoke, merits health coverage? It’s alright to show adulating communities thanking the heroic fire crews but not caring about them.
Not My Tribe
The Myth of Middle Ground
Many say that demonstrations have no effect at all, but I could not help think that there is a connection between the demonstration here demanding health care for fire fighters (done by activists in the Occupy Movement locally) did perhaps have a big effect after all…. See ‘Denver Post: President directs that wildland firefighters be offered health insurance’ @
http://www.koaa.com/news/denver-post-president-directs-that-wildland-firefighters-be-offered-health-insurance/
Patrick, you never know what that sign you hold today may accomplish.
FIREFIGHTERS DESERVE HEALTH BENEFITS
Damn right they do! Of course the offer of too expensive health insurance by the employer is not exactly HAVING health care necessarily, but it is better than not even having it offered to you at all.