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Not that I didn't think that already...
I just returned from a presentation at my work. It was called “Emergency Response Training;" a plan 8 months in the making involving our F&O people (Facilities & Operations) and an outside consultant. We learned what to do at work in case of tornadoes, earthquakes, bombs, ice and snow, public disturbances, both planned (demonstrations) and unplanned (mob violence), and elevator malfunction. Curiously, what we didn’t address were chemical and biological attacks on our premises. I asked this question toward the end of the presentation, only to receive blank stares and silence. Finally, one of the presenters said something like, “Yeah, well, uh…there was some concern after 9/11 about anthrax attacks, but if you see something suspicious, like if someone sets a package down and walks away, call security.” In other words, treat it like a “bomb scare.” I wanted to ask, “What happens though when we evacuate the building and discover the package to contain biological/chemical agents? "How are we supposed to help the people who might have been exposed to this and have gone home?” “Shouldn’t these people be quarantined until medical help arrives?” But considering my first question was received such an underwhelming response and everyone wanted out of there anyway, I acquiesced. The realty is, I have to work with these people. But, it was apparent they had not thought about a plan for these kinds of attacks.
What was significant about this meeting is I suspected half of the attendees to be Republican conservatives. The presenters themselves were from F&O and I strongly suspect them as right-wingers. But the whole question about biological/chemical attacks was shrugged off. “Why?” I wondered. “Because they don’t believe we’ll be attacked with chemical or biological weapons!”
I wanted to stand up and “remind” everyone that “we are engaged in a war to find WsMD.” Remember? “And these WsMD were to be used against us.” Remember? “We had to invade Iraq and kill over a half million of its people to find these weapons.” Remember? “We lost almost 3,000 of our troops looking for these weapons.” Remember? “And we've already had an anthrax attack on our on soil, and although it was directed at high-ranking Democrats and media unflattering to GW Bush, it was an anthrax attack nonetheless.” Remember?
"Hey, you Bushistas, don't you believe Your Leader any more?"
I walked out of there shaking my head. How soon we forget especially when we’re wrong.
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