Healthy Citizens are the Greatest Asset!

Step, step, step... Step over here so we can discuss why eliminating stress has to remain a high priority for any health and wellness journey.

On Tuesday, February 2nd, The New York Post published a letter-to-the-editor that I wrote about President Obama's decision to consider alternate locations for the 9/11 trials. My letter is not about politics - though I'm proud to note that I've had hundreds of political letters published across the country over the past twelve years in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Asbury Park Press and beyond.

This week's letter was honestly about the health and wellness of people who have been through enough. It's about eliminating unnecessary stress for New York residents and for all commuters who happen to work in the vicinity of the New York City Court House to simply put food on their tables and/or to earn the money it takes to fulfill their family dreams.

Here is my Letter:

The 9/11 attacks caused the "post-traumatic-stress event" of our generation. This phenomenon became evident when thousands of us in New York and New Jersey ran for our lives during Air Force One's low-flying photo shoot last year.

Since the Chicago Machine in Washington is oblivious, I'm confident Mayor Bloomberg will rise up like the leader he is to protect the health and welfare of our citizens.

Just say "no" to the terror trials - not now, not today, not ever.

Tish Ferguson
Pt. Pleasant, NJ

I'm not kidding, on Monday April 27th, 2009 when an Air Force One lookalike, the backup plane for the one regularly used by the president, flew low over parts of New York and New Jersey, I had just exited the NJ Turnpike at the 14C Jersey City exit. A booming sweeping sound shook my whole car, so I looked up & out my open sun-roof window and there it was - this giant jetliner accompanied by two F-16 fighter jets. Many of us on the road got out of our car to scan the sky in an attempt to assess and process what was happening.

As I entered the intersection closest to Exchange Place, I was a tad overwhelmed by the scene before me as I watched thousands of people run from their office buildings as this plane circled over us back-and-forth across the Hudson River. Being familiar with the air traffic patterns in-and-out of Newark Airport, it was immediately clear that this plane was flying much too low. People quickly concluded there was danger in the air. I got scared, so I called my Harry and asked him to turn on the news to find out what was happening...

I sought out a big open space near the new Trump residential building and pulled over and joined 15 other commuters - all adult men - who were as alarmed and upset as I was. Everyone was on their cell phones looking for answers, advice, whatever... One guy called his office and demanded that his employees evacuate their building. I called Harry again and told him that I was going to bypass my work location and head away from Jersey City as fast as I could. Should I head to Hoboken? Get back on the Turnpike? Where would I be safe? What's the smart thing to do?

From our vantage point, we could not read the logo on the side of the plane, but the white and aqua colors made some of us think that perhaps it was a hijacked EL AL Israeli passenger jet. What other conclusion can one have in this post-9/11 world especially when U.S. fighter jets were escorting it? I wondered if the airspace had been "sanitized" like on 9/11 - could these jets have been ordered to shoot this plane down?! In a panic, with tears in my eyes and my heart racing, I realized that no matter what action I took, no person on the ground could control how this would end; nor could we secure a defined fate or outcome for ourselves or others.

When I reached the Newport/ Pavonia Path station across from my office, hundreds of people were exiting office buildings there too. Suddenly, all of the traffic stopped and a number of grey & black undercover cars with their lights flashing and sirens blaring surrounded the NJ Path station. Oh my gosh, I thought - I hope there's not a bomb inside this major transportation hub. All I wanted to do was to drive away, but traffic was at a standstill - so I bowed my head and literally asked God to keep me and everybody in Jersey City safe.

A detective ran to the intersection on Washington Blvd and pulled out a bull horn to alert the masses to the fact that there was no danger; he repeated many times that there was no danger! "The airplane in the sky is executing practice military maneuvers. There is nothing to fear. You can go back inside your buildings now. Everything is okay and everything is under control. Do not be afraid."

I parked the car in the garage; bought some coffee; and went into my office to re-start my day. A while later, I read on-line that the situation was not a practice military maneuver afterall. President Obama's plane was conducting some kind of photo shoot over the New York area.

I wrote an e-mail to several family members alerting them to the fact that this silly fly over brought the trauma of 9/11 to the surface for me and thousands of other people that morning. Actions that trigger panic should be eliminated whenever possible. Anxiety causes stress and stress is unhealthy! That's what motivated me to write this week's letter to the New York Post.

So yes - I think the people responsible for the choosing the venue for the 9/11 trials all have the responsibility to look out for the health and welfare of New Yorkers and all those commuters who love and support this great city daily! Forcing good people to relive the stress of 9/11 for years on-end by putting these terrorists and their circus trials in our faces is not good for the health and welfare of anyone!

Having men, women and children patted down at security check points simply because they work or live within a half mile of the courthouse is asking people to endure an unnecessary hardship which is not good for their mental health. Watching people who hate this country march in support of KSM outside the courthouse will make too many of us angry and anger creates a bad state-of-mind that sabotages good health! Guaranteeing that people will have to run from office towers because of bomb scares -like the 30+ that followed in Downtown Manhattan after 9/11 - is not fair to people who are just trying to earn a living. Watching - at close range - as lawyers from our Attorney General's former law firm continue to defend the actions of those who successfully murdered 3,000 fellow commuters and citizens will make too many people -including me - absolutely sick!

Everyone can punch each other out over whether terrorists should be afforded civilian or military trials. I favor the military option myself, but in keeping with the mission of this Blog, my focus is on health and wellness first. It serves the health and welfare of no one to welcome terrorists in Lower Manhattan!

Getting issues and emotions out - and off your chest - when they are pent up inside of you, is an important step to take for good health. Letters to editors actually help me in this regard. With this in mind, I'd like to make the final point that I think the idea of hosting such trials to create a boon for the local economy is appalling. It's the shocking and senseless equivalent of profiting off the backs of those 3,000 fellow citizens who were murdered before our eyes.

"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." - Winston Churchill

Just say "no" to terror trials in New York... not now, not today, not ever.

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 14/51

Quote of the Day: “Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have”.
- Winston Churchill