“There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots - suspicion.” -Demosthenes
11 04 2008I’m feeling suspicious. Suspicious of the motivation behind a meeting I have with various members of the Michigan National Guard on Monday. Regina Bell, a member of Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s staff, claims this meeting is designed to “lend help.” I truly wish this is so. But I have been asking for help for a year, and the government’s efforts to help have produced very little fruit (aside from threats and attempts to intimidate and bully me).
This seems like a relatively simple matter to me. I have a line of duty injury. Under Title 10, Subtitle A, Part II, Chapter 55 I’m supposed to receive medical care to appropriately treat that injury. Under Title 37, Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services, Chapter 3, Section 204, when one is injured in the line of duty and unable to work, they are entitled to certain pay and allowances. That we need the assistant AG, the Chief of Staff (presumably Jennifer Granholm’s, though that wasn’t made clear), and a JAG officer seems like overkill to me.
My friend and advocate Archbp. Simpson asked me what’s my sense of this. I answered honestly, based on my past experience: I don’t expect this matter to be resolved. I do expect to be threatened, bullied, intimidated, blamed, etc., and I expect the Guard to be more concerned with covering themselves than with getting me medical care. He agreed with my assessment.
Someone, Thoreau I think, said something about finding what we expect when we’re suspicious (but T said a lot of stupid things, he may be wrong about this too). Christ I hope that’s not true.
Sarah, my friends, and I are just so tired of this. We really want this to be over. But as more and more people get involved, the less and less I am directly involved. And my advocates are far less restrained than I. Unlike the standard game of drawing the war out as long as possible to wear out your opponent, while I may run out of steam my advocates likely won’t. But in final analysis none of this should be necessary. I have a line of duty injury. I expect proper treatment. Is that really so crazy a request that it requires all of this?
