monday, monday

The Mama’s and Papa’s sang about “Monday, Monday” in the late 60’s lamenting about ‘how they could not trust that day’. The words originally dealt with a wonderful weekend of love but somehow after the fun, perhaps sex, upon Monday’s arrival, the singers moan about ‘how it (Monday) just turns out that way.’

I was driving to work in the usual LA rush hour, and was listening to NPR. Alone in the car with just me and the regular broadcasters providing real nuances and facts of current events, I was engrossed on the good bad and ugly of the world. I was listening to news of world wide and nationwide importance, and as if I needed an example of the importance of those stories some real life stories were happening right in front of me; different characters but mostly the same theme.

Because morning rush hour commute is filled with too many vehicles on the road, and uncomputerized lights, standing still is more common than moving. The predictability of cars not moving has been noticed by some people who carry signs stating they need food, are homeless, Viet Nam War Vets, or out of work and they patrol the car lanes while we all wait for our next green light. They walk up to the cars look in at the drivers; few asking for help, all needing it.

I could not look away. So on my Monday commute; I have on the passenger seat 5 one dollar bills. I now, as a part of the Monday drive to work, feel I should help those who just want to live. I look at the people who walk between the cars and mentally say to them I see you, I know you are here; and there may be no more than that I can do, to fix you.

As the few individuals walked past my car, almost at every red light for the next dozen blocks, a few news stories were being broadcast about the life and times of other Americans. The first was about Goldman Sachs CEO, Lloyd Blankfein potentially receiving a bonus of $100 million, which if he receives it would be his largest bonus ever for him. The caveat however came from a Goldman Sachs official saying “Although our Board of Directors has yet to determine executive compensation, this story may not be true.” What the spokesman did not say is the story IS false, it is too much money, and no one in Goldman Sachs should receive such outrageous compensation while the average U.S. citizen is unemployed, losing his home, or disenfranchised by Wall Street and the Banks.

That story was followed by an announcement that BioTech, a drug company, has its scientists working on a new vaccine and drugs to fight Alzheimer’s. The drug company has been working diligently for the past many years and this new vaccine may be a breakthrough. The next part of the report, however spoke about the cost of Pharmaceutical companies to first research, the science to come up with a vaccine or drug, then the cost of trial and error testing, and finally the marketing of such drugs. Producing these vaccines and supposed cures are very expensive. The journalist then added, how shall all of these breakthroughs be paid for?

The final story of the day, before I parked the car and went to work was about the issue of physician assisted suicide for patients with terminally ill diseases who want to make their own choice as to live or die. The story centered on a dialogue coming to the fore in Great Britain. It seems there is a movement to allow physicians and the terminally ill patient along with his/her family to discuss a professional and medically safe system of suicide. It seems for some with a disease that may cause a quality of life with little quality; the choice of not living in a hospital bed, with assistive machines keeping the body alive, with loss of any cognitive behaviors is too much. And they are asking, through a comprehensive and thought out plan to be permitted to have a physician who agrees to end their life. And by assisting in an agreed upon suicide, not be held for murder.

Three stories about humans all broadcast on the news, all heard by millions of listeners and me. Three stories which at first I thought I have nothing directly to with, but three stories which can and do and will will affect me. And as I turned off the ignition of my car, reached for my briefcase, locking the doors behind me, I began to think.

All of the sudden I felt this moral imperative to comment on these stories, to ask simple questions, to try and get a sense of what they all had in common. To ask the question when is $100 million an obscene amount of money for one man to make. Why should he or any human being receive that kind of money, when so many have not even a dollar? Is capitalism just about the financial bottom line? Have the deeds of Goldman Sachs, Mister Blankfein warranted a bonus of $100 million? Why is that okay?

When Bio Tech and dozens of other drug companies find vaccines or pills, or cures for deadly human diseases, why then does the cost of finding these “miracles” seem to be cost prohibitive for most citizens of the world? If the job is to find a cure, why then when it is found is too expensive for the Average person to pay for it. Are the Pharmacies making the vaccines or the drugs to help people live longer, healthier, better, or are they discovered to help the bottom lines live healthier? Why create it if it is going to cost too much to purchase when you need them.

Physician Assisted Suicide, asking for help when you have reached the most conscience able decision on the quality of your own life. When you have spoken with those who love you, who knew you when and see you now to listen to your desires, your choice of how you decide what quality is good enough for you. Why is it considered selfish or immoral, many times by people who don’t know you, know how you feel, know your pain. The request for Physician Assisted Suicide is not asking for everyone to seek this out, but so many who don’t want it for them seem to find the right to deny it for you.

When does being human extend from only being human for me, to I am a part of a human race. Does greed, gluttony, sanctimonious self serving epitaphs, replace real values, real charity, real concern? It seems the condition of the human race is more about running across the finish line first, and not caring who it is that follows or never makes it.

I hear about needing high salaries, the cost of producing life saving medicines is expensive, I know more about your quality of then you and I then look at real people walking between cars hoping that for the moment a dollar here or there will get them by until the next rush hour.

Monday, Monday, for me its a five dollar deal, driving to work, one dollar here five times. Why does Monday just turn out that way?