History is a great teacher to those who listen. This Tuesday, May 22, marks the 6-year anniversary of my late husband Alan’s death due to mesothelioma, a preventable asbestos-caused cancer. As I look back on this past decade since Alan was diagnosed, I am frustrated and pained by the lack of progress – both in prevention and advancements for curative treatments. It is criminal and reprehensible that asbestos remains legal and lethal in the United State. Asbestos is no longer a “miracle mineral,” but rather a killer dust. Although we no longer mine asbestos in the United States, we are still importing approximately 1,000 metric tons every single year! In the United States alone, 10,000 men, women, and children die each year from asbestos-caused diseases. Since Alan’s first symptoms in 2002, almost 100,000 Americans have lost their lives to preventable diseases during this decade and the United States has imported approximately 52,000 ton of asbestos. .
Just this morning, I read the “Capitol’s $173 Million Asbestos Saga Ends After 13 Years” article. Did you know ten Architect of the Capitol Federal employees were exposed to asbestos? Some of you have met Johnny and his workers, in fact, ADAO awarded Johnny with the 2008 ADAO Asbestos Awareness Conference Tribute of Inspiration Award for his unwavering efforts to protect his workers and fight for justice.
This dialog needs to shift from litigation to education to protect public health and human rights. Only through our collaborative efforts can we prevent exposure and work towards eliminating environmental and occupation asbestos-caused diseases. You can begin raising awareness today; share the ADAO PowerPoint “Asbestos Consumption in the USA” with your family, friends, and colleagues.
Alan, I’ll be listening to one of our favorite Gershwin songs, “Our Love is Here to Stay” and remembering you …
In unity,
Linda
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