Cingles Info

AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL VETERANS & HCV/LIVER ORGS. & ASSOCCIATIONS/UNIONS
John F. Sommers Jr.
Executive Director, American Legion
Washington Office
cc: Ed Phillips, Jr. Adjutant, Dept. of Delaware
American Legion
Hello, and thank you for responding. I am sorry you have tried to contact us
without success (We do not know what number you are calling, but you are not
reaching us.)! My name is Norm Seiff, my phone# is 708-453-2206. I am the one
that has sent the broadcast email to the American Legion as well as other
Veterans Organizations, Associations/Unions and more. I am the Veterans Orgs.
Coordinator, HCV/LIVER Orgs. Coordinator, Associations/Unions Coordinator for
the march at http://hcvet.com/forum_public/hma/disc.htm ; As
well as the Program Director for the Disabled Veterans Association of Illinois,
A member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, the Italian American War Veterans,
an active member, HCV Support Group Coordinator (& until recently because of my
illness & other activity, Volunteer Celebrity & Sponsor Recruiter) for the
Illinois Chapter of the American Liver Foundation. The National Director of the
march, Patricia Lupole(whose Husband is also a HCV Victim & I believe an
American Legion member) phone # is 540-248-4994
As I have stated in my broadcast email, I am aware of many of the efforts the
American Legion and the other Organizations for Vets with HCV. Thank you for
bringing me up to date with your response! We are not denying the Legion or any
other Organization (Veterans or Civilian) that they have done a lot; and THANK
YOU & GOD BLESS YOU from me and all other Millions Worldwide with HCV!
We are just asking you and the other Orgs. to join in with the rest of us in
Solidarity on a "Grass Roots" effort that was started by Vets & Civilians to aid
the many fine organizations that have worked very hard to do what the people
with this "Horrific Disease" would like and need! We do not have Christopher
Reeves for Spinal Cord Injuries, Michael J. Fox or Mohammed Ali for Parkinson,
Julia Roberts for that terrible disease that attacks little girls, Liz Taylor or
Elton John (or the host of other celebs) for HIV/AIDS, or the many others to
speak for us and go before Congress asking for more money! GOD BLESS them for
what they do!
We are tired of the MISINFORMATION, LACK OF AWARENESS and FUNDS put on this
disease, and POLITICS asssociated! We are not a formal organization with any
personal agendas or schemes for profit in any way. We are just a LARGE bunch of
people slowly dying! We are doing and have been doing what we have for the march
for over a year now out of our own pockets. I, a year ago May, and a group of
others lead by Paricia Lupole, this April traveled to DC (AGAIN OUT OF OUR OWN
POCKETS) to lobby Congress and present documentation (as I also had done in
November of 2001 at the VA National HepatitsC Community Advisory Board) to
justify our claims of above and
others like, Social Security lacking addressing the issue for Civilians. At the
websites and from many of us that have done extensive research(like our Natl.
Coordinator who has done 10 plus years), we will be happy to share with you or
anybody else documentation. Including figures from the VA and other Government
agencies showing the the disaportionate amount spent on HCV(now 4 to 5 times a
greater risk than HIV/AIDS) versus other diseases.
I, myself, have advocated the the joint efforts of all Veterans Organizations
working together for the common good of all Vets. I have started programs like
"Donate Your Old Eyeglasses to Vets who can't afford them" & "Donate Coats,
Blankets, Duffle-Bags for the Homeless Vets", with the Ladies Auxiliary of the
American Legion at Hines VA Hospital, Vietnow, Vietnam Veterans of America, and
the Italian American War Veterans.
We are not asking any organization to sponsor anything unless they want to (like
the Porta Potty fund)! All I am asking; that the ones inflicted the most, the
high risk factor groups(Veterans, FireFighters, Medical Health Care, and others)
all stand together for once and forget the Politics & Credit.........and save
some lives!
Thank You: Norm Seiff
P.S. I have include the orignal broadcast email; so there is no questions to the
nature of the email:
Thank you VFW! We appreciate you coming to the march that means so much to
millions of Veterans, Firefighters/Ems, Police Officers, & Civilians!
I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS..........Where's the rest of the VETS ORGS. & other
Associations/Unions? How do we get to them?
05/23/02 - VETS ORGS., HCV/LIVER ORGS., ASSOCIATIONS/UNIONS, & OTHERS
COMING/PARTICIPATING/OR SPONSORING ........IN SOME WAY.......SO FAR!
VFW,
PHILLY FIREFIGHTERS LOCAL 22,
VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA, VIETNOW, VETERANS OF VIETNAM WAR, INC.,
DISABLED VETERANS ASSOCIATIONS, LEGION OF VALOR, MARINE CORPS. LEAGUE,
ROLLING THUNDER, SPRING TO ACTION, VERPA, NIKKI " Every Vet's Liittle Sister"
MENDICINO, AMERICAN LIVER FOUNDATION, LATINO ORG. FOR LIVER AWARENESS, HEPATITIS
MAGAZINE, KANE COUNTY ILLINOIS COALITION OF CITIZENS
WITH DISABILITIES, GEORGIA DOTY HEALTH EDUCATION FUND, SENATOR OLYMPIA SNOWE,
CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE, ILLINOIS STATE REP. ANGELO "SKIP"
SAVIANO........STAYED TUNE FOR THE
CELEBRITIES & OTHER GROUPS & ORGS.!
Michael J. Fox & Muhammed Ali were just back on the Hill asking for more money
for Parkinsons again! Julia Roberts was just there asking for more money for a
terrible disease that attacks little girls!
GOD BLESS THEM!
But again, I'm still wondering whose going to the Hill in such a high profile
way and speaking for us with HCV?
Well the answer is us........the numbers will outweigh the
celebrity...........so we need every Veterans & HCV/Liver Organization, every
FireFighters/EMS/Paramedic/Medical Association/Union & MORE there in SOLIDARITY
on June 23, 2002
Is your organization going to be
there, http://hcvets.com/forums_public/hma/disc/htm in numbers and someone one
to represent them at the microphone(if even for just a moment to announce that
they are there/represented). It would be a shame if all the other Associations,
Unions, Veterans & HCV/Liver Organizations were there and not you! Afterall, a
lot of your members are also inflicted and you have done a lot to help promote
the advocacy of HCV issues among Your Members, Vets & Civilians; and this would
go far to promote solidarity on these issues for all inflicted. It couldn't but
help increase your membership, also! Either way, please watch the march on
C-Span & the other media on the 23rd.
You are cordially invited to Hepatitis's Movement for Awareness summer campaign,
the National March on DC June 23rd.
The Hepatitis C's Movement for Awareness is a grassroots organization committed
to change in funding policies, awareness, prevention and eradication of this
insidious disease.
Your presence will help this nation realize just how fast HCV is spreading and
what we need to do to stop it.
There are no vaccines, there is no funding for research and each year new
transmission methods are discovered.
Our march will be focused on awareness and the participants are people and
organizations that promote this reality.
Respectfully yours,
Patricia Lupole, Nat'l Coordinator
Hepatitis C's Movement for Awareness
HMAwareness@...
(540) 248-4994