July 28, 2002
NINE FOR NINE
Happily, all 9 of the trapped miners in Pennsylvania were rescued safely late last night. When you think about it, stuff like this puts things in perspective. You hear people complaining of sick-building syndrome and overcommuting syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome. But these guys were trapped for 3 days in a tiny air pocket 240 feet below ground. That's gotta be some kind of syndrome.
But according to CNN, "Dumire said he saw no evidence of post-traumatic stress among the men. 'They're all quite calm, cool and collected, and they all want to get on with things,' he said." Come on guys! This is 2002 America! You're supposed to be talking to lawyers and going on Oprah and lining up ghostwriters and doing anything but being glad you made it and going on with your life.
Posted by michaelf at July 28, 2002 12:32 PMComments
I suggest you learn what Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Sick Building Syndrome (aka Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) actually are before you start comparing it to being trapped in a mine. The people I know who have these would rather spend three days down in that mine than be crippled by these conditions.
So glad the miners made it out. I was amazed!
Posted by: Jen at July 29, 2002 06:28 PM
I'd prefer just about anything to being trapped in a mine. Your views may vary. Of course, if you knew you'd get out safely, it may be a different story.
Posted by: Michael at July 30, 2002 04:18 PM
Perhaps the people you kknow suffering from those syndromes would rather spend three days in the mine with the knowledge that it'd all work out in the end, and have that be the end of it. But that's not at all what happened, and to say they'd prefer that is based on a misrepresentation.
If you were to ask them -- I suspect you didn't -- you'd need to make it clear to them that under the parameters of the actual episode, that chances are they won't get out alive. Please be clear that it will happen without their prior knowledge, that they will not have a chance to say goodbye (or anything else) to their loved ones, that their deaths will likely occur someplace completely dark and very cold and very wet, and will likely involve suffocation.
Then please tell us if they would prefer being stuck in a mine.
Really, think about it.
Posted by: Pete at August 5, 2002 04:48 PM
