Storytelling about Public Health, Immigration and Power

Here is a headline for you to consider:

CDC Recommended that Migrants Receive Flu Vaccine, but CBP Rejected the Idea

With a different headline and presented in a different order, the same facts and even the same text would tell a different story.

This is how the story in the Washington Post by Robert Moore starts out:

As influenza spread through migrant detention facilities last winter, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that U.S. Customs and Border Protection vaccinate detained migrants against the virus, a push that CBP rejected, according to a newly released letter to Congress.

In Washington, I guess that's what this story is about: a battle between agencies, political conflict, and, with any luck, a cover-up and a scandal.  It's about power.  And who will be blamed when the outbreak inevitably occurs.

Epitaph by Merrit Mallow at Frank Fisher's Funeral

I'd like to thank Frank Fisher for this poem.

Frank died on April 29th, 2019.  We went to his funeral today and the Rabbi read this poem by Merrit Mallow called "Epitaph."  It was beautiful.

I'd kind of like to know if Frank knew of this poem and appreciated it himself or not.  No matter, though -- I appreciated it either way.  Frank's funeral provided more than an opportunity to learn of this poem, however.  It also made it a lot more meaningful.  When the Rabbi read the poem, I had been thinking about Frank's life, his family and colleagues he left behind.  By living the life he did and drawing people to his funeral as he did -- people who spoke about their memories of Frank and his legacy -- Frank "framed" the poem for me.  Thank you, Frank.