New York's Bravest? Errrrr, not exactly. (Same goes for New York's Finest...)

The pandemic has brought out the best in so many. Especially the healthcare workers who, especially in those early days when there were so many more unknowns than knowns, have worked so tirelessly and selflessly helping covid victims live, and helping them die. And we can't overlook the everyday workers who kept the grocery shelves stocked, and emptied the nursing home bed pans, and in general have made life more livable during these uncertain and miserable times.

The pandemic has also brought out the worst in people. Starting from the top: the politicians (R-Everywhere) who, while doing whatever they could do to save their physical arses (expensive, not-available-to-everyone treatment; early-on vaccination access), spent even more energy saving their political arses by blocking public health efforts. Followed closely by the rightwing media, who similarly saved their physical arses - tell me Tucker Carlson and family haven't been vaccinated - while spending even more energy saving their ratings arses.

A pox on all their houses. Oh, wait, smallpox has been pretty much wiped out by - ta-da - vaccine!

But following close behind the pols and the media are the first responders - firefighters and cops - who have been opposing vaccination efforts.

One the one hand, this is puzzling. The leading cause of "line of duty" deaths among police officer of late has been covid.

Firefighters (and EMS personnel) have also seen a significant number of covid-related deaths. And a lot of these folks are former military, where you're required to get all sorts of vaccinations, delivered to recruits in assembly line fashion. Why would this particular vaccination bother them? 

But when you consider the number of Trumpers (and, based on the cops and firefighters I've known in my life, pigheads) in their ranks, it's not much of a surprise. It's another rage-fueled issue to leap on. 

And thus we end up with cops and firefighters quitting and threatening to quit. Not to mention ending up with the stellar behavior of Florida's Ron DeSantis, who's inviting first responders who lose their jobs elsewhere for refusing to get vaccinated to come on down to Florida (and get a $5K bonus to do so). 

In truth, it the ranks of cops and firefighters are purged of a bunch of rightwing thugs, that's great. They can hopefully be replaced by those who are truly fine and brave.

Perhaps because they're not just "The Finest" and "The Bravest", the behavior of the NYPD and FDNY have been especially egregious.

A few days ago, it was NYPD off-duty cops blocking traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge to protest mandatory vaccination. The sort of behavior that these same cops had no problem roughing up peaceful BLM protestors for doing. Some "Finest."

And now this from "The Bravest." 

Six FDNY members of Ladder 113 have been suspended for allegedly driving their truck to a state senator's New York City office and threatening his staff over the vaccine mandate for city workers.

The on-duty firefighters drove an in-service ladder truck to state Senator Zellnor Myrie's office in Brooklyn on Friday and questioned staff as to where the politician lives, a department spokesperson confirmed. The crew is accused of telling his staffers they would have "blood on their hands" Monday when unvaccinated workers must go on unpaid leave.

The group of firefighters also allegedly told the staff that if a fire was reported at Myrie's home they would not respond. (Source: NBC New York)

I'm sure that Senator Myrie is delighted to know that he'll have to enlist his neighbors in a bucket brigade if there's a fire in his home. (And I hate to throw the race bomb here, but it will surprise exactly on one that Senator Zellnor Myrie is Black. I'm a pretty good guesser, so I have a pretty good guess about the race of the six FDNY members who came calling in their firetruck. NYC taxpayer money in action!)

Anyway, FDNY claims to have enough vax resisters that, come Monday, they'll have to shut down a number of firehouses and ambulances. And it's the state senator's staff who'll have "blood on their hands"?

What a disgraceful group. (Some "Bravest.")

When our country was attacked by terrorists in 2001, we all pretty much rallied 'round the flag. And that was for something that, after September 11th, really didn't present all that much of an ongoing clear and present danger to us. And that could easily and mightily have been politicized.

Twenty years later, where are we? A killer virus that is still killing a lot of people, and that knows no political bounds, becomes a big political issue. And, thus, will continue to kill a lot more people, over a lot longer a period, than it has to. 

The damage being done to our already frayed community is so profound and terrifying. We should be able to expect better from "The Bravest" (and "The Finest"). Instead, we get this crap. 

Hope these FDNY aholes end up getting permanently suspended . And have to pay for the use of the equipment. If they don't like it, they can move to Florida. I don't have to live in New York to say 'good riddance.'