Indians and Bodybags

[Megas Methuselah]

Here's another article on it:

http://news.sympatico.ctv.ca/Home/Co...=abc&date=True

I hope this one is a bit more clear about how unnacceptable this is.

17/09/2009 11:54:16 AM

CTV.ca News Staff

Opposition critics and First Nations leaders are slamming the government after Health Canada shipped dozens of body bags to aboriginal communities in Manitoba that have been hit hard by swine flu.

Chiefs said the body bags were sent to a handful of northern communities where dozens had to be airlifted earlier this year.

"If this is preparedness, they're sending the wrong message to our communities. Who would do such a thing?" Grand Chief David Harper, representing Manitoba's northern First Nations, asked Wednesday.

"It's like sending body bags to Afghanistan for our soldiers. We've been asking for proper health institutions, proper health equipment. Instead, what do we get? Body bags. That's totally unacceptable."

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said at a flu briefing in Ottawa Wednesday that she too was disturbed by the move.

"I have ordered my deputy minister to conduct a thorough and immediate inquiry into the situation and I will continue to work with First Nations, provinces and territories to ensure all Canadians are informed and protected against H1N1," she said.

Aglukkaq said she only found out about the body bag shipments during the press conference and could not answer any more questions.

David Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health officer, called the body bags "unnecessary."

Opposition critics immediately slammed the move, saying it shows the government is unprepared in its flu response.

"This is an absolute disgrace. This is morally appalling," Liberal health critic Dr. Carolyn Bennett said in a news release. "Instead of flu-kits, instead of preparing and planning to get the vaccine on time - instead of planning to save lives - they spent their time planning on how to deal with the deaths."

Bennett is among the many critics who have expressed frustration with the government's slow response to help northern aboriginal communities deal with the H1N1 pandemic.

New Democrat MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis said she was angry that Health Canada refused to send hand sanitizer to reserves but is now sending body bags.

She said the move gives a poor impression about how Canada is preparing to deal swine flu if there is a larger outbreak.

Canada announced its priority list for vaccinations Wednesday, and those living in remote communities were on the list, alongside health workers, pregnant women and children.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Only they didn't get it instead, they got it with. Of course people are expected to die. I have no doubt that there are body bags waiting in other communities across Canada as well, but suddenly it's "offensive" because this group got it. This is a disease that people will die from.

I think it is pretty funny that Ignatieff is criticizing the government for not being prepared - if they hadn't been sending body bags, he'd be doing the same thing (but only once it started to kill people, otherwise it would be political suicide). Got to love Canadian politics.

[Beskar]

Only they didn't get it instead, they got it with. Of course people are expected to die. I have no doubt that there are body bags waiting in other communities across Canada as well, but suddenly it's "offensive" because this group got it. This is a disease that people will die from.

Pretty much it, also, for a fact, Afghanistan do have body bags and even coffins and draping flags for them, same as Iraq. They even already have the burial plot land ready for it as well.

Yes, it is a very sad and unfortunate fact people die, however, it really looks that some people are seeing through the eyes of a walt disney movie where people don't die and for whatever reason, think government takes no preparation for the deaths f its civilians and soldiers.

[Furunculus]

it's sop, get over it.

that chip may weigh you down.

[Husar]

Can anyone quote where it says they got all of it instead of just body bags?
I'm a bit confused now and the first link doesn't really seem to load anymore, the second definitely says they got only bodybags which would be a very weird sop.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Can anyone quote where it says they got all of it instead of just body bags?
I'm a bit confused now and the first link doesn't really seem to load anymore, the second definitely says they got only bodybags which would be a very weird sop.

First Nations chiefs in northern Manitoba say Health Canada sent an ominous message to their reserves this week when dozens of body bags were included in shipments of medical supplies for H1N1 influenza.

[LittleGrizzly]

So basically we need to now how much medical supplies were sent out and were they adaquate...

I would assume the Canadian goverment wouldn't intentionally not give them enough... they may be less of a priority (which is wrong) but not nessecarily intentional malice towards the natives...

Just shows some people are too thick to get it.

Play nice!

[Husar]

Thanks, I can also open the link again now and it does indeed seem a bit like a non-issue.

[Aemilius Paulus]

"If this is preparedness, they're sending the wrong message to our communities. Who would do such a thing?" Grand Chief David Harper, representing Manitoba's northern First Nations, asked Wednesday.

Wrong message? Well, yes, that may be true – when you see a coffin made for you when you are sick, that is certainly bad for the morale. But how can your prepare for the swine flu? Give me something that could have helped the Natives?

"It's like sending body bags to Afghanistan for our soldiers. We've been asking for proper health institutions, proper health equipment. Instead, what do we get? Body bags. That's totally unacceptable."

The government will not build a whole clinic for a certain group of people simply because those individuals are hysterical about swine flu. What institutions? A hospital made only for swine influenza sufferers? What equipment? What can treat, cure, prevent, or mitigate the effects of swine flu? Nothing yet, as the vaccine has not made it to public yet.

protected against H1N1," she said.

HOW?? By lucky charms, holy water, garlic, echinacea, or vitamin C? None of those are of any use against the swine flu. There is no vaccine. The government cannot do anything.

David Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health officer, called the body bags "unnecessary."

I do not see anything else a population suffering from a yet incurable and unpreventable disease can be aided with.

Opposition critics immediately slammed the move, saying it shows the government is unprepared in its flu response.

What is constitutes as “prepared”? Quarantine, face-masks, and of course, the body bags to dispose of the dead are all that I can see a government doing as of today. The first two are common enough that one does not need the gov’t.

"Instead of flu-kits, instead of preparing and planning to get the vaccine on time - instead of planning to save lives - they spent their time planning on how to deal with the deaths."

Flu-kits? Like the ones that determine if you have the virus? Preparing and planning to get the vaccine on time? Sounds like fluff to me, an empty stream of words with no real meaning. What is “planning and preparing to get the vaccine”? How does the speaker know what the government is doing? And what is there to do? Simply wait. The government cannot save lives, and it is being pragmatic, doing what it can – deal with the inevitable casualties. Why do you expect unreasonable things of the government? They are not magic – they cannot do what is impossible. There is nothing they can do to help.

Health Canada refused to send hand sanitizer to reserves but is now sending body bags.

HAND SANITISERS??? Is this a joke? Hand sanitisers kill bacteria, with varying effectiveness. Viruses are tricky, and none of the manufacturers claim any sort of effectiveness of their products versus swine flu or like viruses. In theory, alcohol should deactivate the virus, but the hand sanitisers do not contain enough of it (the higher the better- medical ones are 95% alcohol). In practice, often times, the hand sanitisers will kill the weak, leaving only the strong, thus creating an (un)natural selection, leading to literally, microevolution through mutation. I have read research that claimed kill rates as low as 40% for hand sanitisers.

In any case, the Ameri-Indian tribes should not need the government to provide them with surgical masks, soap, and hand sanitisers. Show a bit of independence for once!

She said the move gives a poor impression about how Canada is preparing to deal swine flu if there is a larger outbreak.

Uh-huh. So, you tell me – what would you like to see the Canadian government do to combat swine flu. Because I see nothing tangible, nothing useful that it employ to alleviate the influenza outbreak.

[A Very Super Market]

Aren't you talking about anti-biotic soap? Alcohol kills pretty indiscriminately, and the problem is more about it just not reaching into every fold in your hand.