Lost Family Stories

When I was a child, I had a great-aunt who had a great number of family and local area stories, all stored in her fertile mind. She was the quintessential ‘maiden’ aunt and one of the main aims in her life was helping others. Just about everu day, my mother, my brother, sister and I went to visit my grandmother and her sister, my great-aunt.  She would tell all these wonderful stories about the activities of family members or things that had happened in the local area (Monroe County, West Virginia),  I can’t remember much about them because, llke most children and young people, I took them all for granted, paying llittle real attention to them.  There was one about a Lewis(she was a Lewis) hiding from the Indians under a large rock.  I wish I knew where that rock is, or was. There was another about someone losing a team of horses in a local swamp; I’ve heard this story debunked. True or not, they were wonderful, had at least a grain of thruth to them,and they were lost because no one took the time to write any of them down ti oreserve them for future generations. Part of our family history is lost, and our history is part of who we are. I am fortunat to have had interesting ancestors who did  a lot of interesting things, such as founding a county or community, engaging in politics (not all of it is bad), serving in the Revolutionary or Civil (or other) wars and developing land. Most of my oral history is gone, but,fortunately, much has been written over many years about the accomplishments and activities of many of my ancestors. The missing oral history would have greatly enriched what has been recorded.

So, if you have older family members, ask them about their memories.  They have a lot to contribute, would be dellighted to be asked, and all their unique stories can be preserved before it’s too late.

 

Why do we have the highest drug prices in the world?

From a radio program, People’s Pharmacy, website: peoplespharmacy.com,    

Dr. Peter Rost,  a  Swedish Physician, is s  former VP of Marketing at Pfizer and Pharmacia. He was given an office and was paid $600,000 per year for two and a half years to do nothing  When he became aware of suspected illegal activities he brought it to the attention of his superiors and was forced out after he exposed  the wrongdoing. Pfizer was found guilty of marketing drugs for unapproved indications and paid 35 nillion in fines Drug companies have paid 8 bbillion in fines for illegal marketing of drugs.  Bribing doctors and donating large sums of money to politicians..were also used to promote the marketing of their drugs.

 

Because drug companies refuse to let drugs be imported, or re-imported from other countries, claiming that those drugs are unsafe, our citizens are paying the highest prices in the world, effectively denying needed treatment to those least able to pay those prices. The situation can only get worse as prices of almost everything rise at an alarming pace, in response to stratospheric crude oil prices..  We must find practical alternative fuels and we need to safely import drugs from sources that the rest of the world uses so that people of more modest means can get affordable treatment

 

Politics as usual

It doesn’t make much sense to me for the Democratic party in those states(I’m a registereed Democrat) to have had Primary elections in Michigan and Florida that, by its rules,were too early. Then, because the rules said they were too early, they didn’t want those state’s votes counted or their delegates to vote at the convention. If Michigan and Florida politicians knew of the rule against early primary election date, why were those dates set so early?  Did they not think that they were supposed to go by that rule and, if they didn’t, the votes might be questioned.  Those people voted in good faith, were eligible to vote and should not essentially have their vote denied. Is that not the same as denying them their right to vote and, if so, is that Constitutional?

 

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