Over the years and all over the world, our military has saved more lives than all the other first responders in every humanitarian organization combined. San Francisco Fleet Week is all about pioneering a new way to combine military and civilian assistance, and what?s going on here is serving as a model for Fleet Weeks all over the country. As I type this, our military is training local firemen in the latest search and rescue techniques. Hundreds of local doctors and nurses are observing peer to peer exercises that demonstrate a variety of medical breakthroughs. Today, over a million residents will have a chance to tour a state of the art Humanitarian Village set up in Marina Green. How cool is that?
If you deemed it important Frances, you and your kids could tour a realistic shock trauma expeditionary hospital. You could drink water pumped out of the bay and purified by reverse osmosis, or see firsthand various demonstrations of solar power and other kinds of practical energy we?ll need when the next quake hits. Or, you could bitch about the noise and reduce the whole event to parade for the Industrial Military Complex.
Obviously, I?m biased. I?ve flown with the Blue Angels and toured many of those destroyers. I?ve worked with every branch of the US Armed Forces, and met thousands of soldiers along the way. I like them. Spending time with them makes me feel good about our country. That?s why I speak on behalf of the Post 9-11 GI Bill. That?s why I attend the Marine Corps Ball every year. That?s why I?m doing what I can to help connect more of our troops into careers in the skilled trades. But as for Fleet Week, I support this event because I'd like to see us survive the next big quake. And believe me Frances - it's coming. That?s why I?m involved. My question is - why aren?t you?
Come on down to the Marina Green around 3 this afternoon. It?ll be fun. If you're nice, I?ll buy you a cup of purified water, and let you put a tourniquet on my neck.
