New York City First Responders: The Root of the Problem
COVID creates a knee-jerk vote of thanks to first responders, so let's take a moment to consider than any automatic applause is guaranteed to hide real scrutiny. For that reason, I'd like to point out the many ways that the First Response Syndrome in NYC is a large part of the reason we're in the mess we are today. Here are some reasons I believe our attitudes towards the fire, police, and ambulance militias have exacerbated our sickness, disenfranchisement, and powerlessness in the face of a City that's out of control. First responders believe that they are priority workers--and they act that way. Because they've drunk their own koolaid, these public employees break traffic rules, cultural rules, and civility rules in a way that causes far more damage than the protection services they offer in return First responders aren't contributors to noise pollution anxiety in New York City--they ARE the noise pollution. Each time a siren goes up, the blood pressure of