A Milestone Post, A Worthy Cause, An Important Day

Yesterday I noticed on my Blogger dashboard that my next post on this blog would be post number 500. I thought that such a milestone ought to be about something really important instead of the mostly trivial stuff I normally write about. I asked for suggestions on a Twitter/Facebook update. I got none. Fortunately, (insert name/title of your preferred deity or deities, or chalk it up to fate) provided inspiration today.

I had just gotten on the bus that runs along Frankford Avenue near my house. There was a bit of a commotion. The driver commented to another passenger about being stuck in the outer lane. There were a few cars and vans driving along the other lane, moving more slowly than the rest of the traffic. As the bus driver finally managed to pass the clog, I noticed two vehicles in particular -- with a red, white and blue motif and a lot of text, with one word in the largest font standing out: GUMPATHON. In between them was a man in what seemed to be a wheelchair/bicycle hybrid. His legs were still -- it was his arms "pedaling" the handlebars that powered his ride. Curious, I jumped out of the bus a minute later, ahead of the caravan, and captured some video. (You don't hear sound because of the YouTube sound issue I previously ranted about, so you can't hear the man give me a shout in response to my thumbs-up gesture as he passed.)



So, what is the Gumpathon?
It's a cross-country run that began yesterday in New York City and is slated to end in Santa Monica on Veterans' Day. Six men -- all either U.S. or British Marines -- are raising money for charities that support injured members of the military on both sides of the Atlantic. It was the idea of Damian Todd, a member of the British Royal Marines, whose close friend was severely injured in Afghanistan. As you've probably guessed, he was inspired by the movie "Forrest Gump" and Forrest's run across America.  Mark Ormrod, who lost both legs and his right arm in Afghanistan in 2007, is one of the six. He's running on his prosthetic legs and is committed to running at least one mile each day. (I thought he might be the man in the weird bike -- which is called a handcycle or handbike, as it turns out -- but he's not.)

This is quite an undertaking, but certainly the military deserves the support, and especially on this day, the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The events of that day continue to affect everyone in at least some way, thanks in no small part to the politicians, corporations and religious charlatans who have used 9/11 as an excuse to consolidate/expand their power, spread their hate and line their pockets. Honestly, these...I hate to use this word to describe them, but...these people have made it more difficult to feel patriotic. Much of the commemoration of 9/11 rings hollow when they talk about how our troops are preserving our freedoms, yet many of these same people fight tooth and nail to prevent gays and lesbians from serving in the military or marrying the one they love.

But then I think of those who gave their lives, and of someone like Mark Ormrod, incredibly maimed but continuing to live his life and serve his country and, by participating in this run, helping others like him. They serve as an inspiration, and they are protecting our freedoms. Among them: the freedom to speak out against the haters and the liars such as Sarah Palin and her teabagging cronies, and that "preacher" who wanted to burn the Quran (I'm not even going to say his name; he should fade into the mists and never be heard of or from again). And the freedom to continue the fight for true equality.

Go to the Gumpathon site and learn more about their journey. There's a link to the route they're taking -- if they pass by your area cheer them on. If you can, there are links to donate online and instructions to contribute via text message. They're also on Twitter and Facebook.