Everyone Has a Cause

[W. Gray]

In his State of the Union address on January 29, 2002, President Bush put out a call for 4,000 hours of voluntary community service. I had just retired so I complied with that request by beginning a project that would have helped the world community get rid of an extremely dangerous chemical.

I decided to help with a petition to the government for banning the use or provide for total elimination of the dangerous chemical dihydrogen monoxide. This stuff is bad. In its natural state, it is both odorless and colorless.

I did not get very far even though there is much support for a ban.

In one institution of learning, fifty students were canvassed to support a ban on the use of this chemical. Forty-Three, 86%, of the fifty supported an outright ban with six undecided. Only one student voiced opposition.

There are a number of web sites devoted to ridding the world of this problem.

Nevertheless, there has not been much success.

We need to get rid of this chemical which is a detriment to humankind and is responsible for many, many deaths annually in the US and worldwide. If not handled correctly, it is potentially more dangerous than Anthrax. 

Following are just a few of the reasons for banning the hazardous chemical, dihydrogen monoxide.

It can cause excessive sweating and vomiting.

It is a major component of acid rain.

It can cause very severe burns in its gaseous state.

Inhalation will kill a person in a very short time – it takes a shorter time, in fact, to cause a person to stop breathing than anthrax.

Many people's homes have been lost or heavily damaged when invaded by this chemical. Once it invades, people have to flee immediately.

It has even been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Babies are particularly vulnerable to this chemical. New parents must be extremely vigilant until a ban can be instituted.

Spring seems to be when this chemical can be most dangerous, although summer is also bad. Each year many deaths occur because of this chemical. Strangely, deaths seem to rise as the sale of ice cream increases.

This chemical is not a new threat; even Indians and settlers, including Howard County, Kansas, battled it. At one time in history, the entire world ran from this invading chemical. Banning the chemical would help insure that this will never again occur.



The chemical notation for dihydrogen monoxide is H20.

Mostly from the Old Farmer's Almanac, 2002

[kdfrawg]

Okay, W. Gray, you have convinced me.

I am pouring out the glass of that stuff that I had sitting right next to me.

Now I wish I liked beer.

[Diane Amberg]

 Alright, W. Gray, I wondered where you were going with that. I didn't grow up with a chemist for a father for  nuttin'. That's OK....There are MSDS sheets for ridiculous things too. It includes sand and bricks and hydrogen peroxide ( you might bubble to death.) and Alka Seltzer, vinegar and, and, and...

[Rudy Taylor]

If I recall correctly, the Sons of the Pioneers sang a protest song about this dreaded killer.

[Diane Amberg]

 Yes they did, but they had an awful time getting the 7 syllables of dihydrogen monoxide stuffed into a two syllable measure.

[kdfrawg]

Cool, clear, poison.

[Rudy Taylor]

Do I recall I frog croaking in the background as the Pioneers crooned the song?  Can't you imagine it?

[kdfrawg]

You know, Rudy, you're right. If there weren't frogs, there should have been frogs. Nothing says water, and especiqally the water/air interface, like frogs.

[Rudy Taylor]

You're so cool, Kermit.  Wouldn't you like to start life all over and become a newspaper writer?  You're
so talented!  But then, so are most frogs.

[kdfrawg]

Actually, I have considered going back and getting a Journalism degree. Although, I'd guess my life experience may get me pretty close already. I'm better at writing, I think, than what my degree is in, which is Management.