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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT gmail.com>]

On 11/18/2010 2:34 PM, Lynda wrote:
> I am soooo sorry for you and his family!
>
> Lynda, angry at a loss that shouldn't have happened!

Thank all of you for your thoughts and concern and kindness.
There is a lot of anger at the PD over this..lots...
People don't understand that the law doesn't authorize the police to act 
unless there is foul play suspected, or if the victim is a minor, etc.
Keith's body was found on private property adjacent to the park where 
the police did not have access or authority to search freely.  The 
people who owned that land had been very upset over all the trespassing 
recently, understandably so, but finally consented to allow the CERT 
team to search today.  Now, people are pissed that the PD did not find 
him a week ago when they searched.  I can see both sides.
I suppose we will be waiting for the autopsy to hopefully determine 
whether Keith intentionally overdosed or if this was some kind of 
medical issue/accident.
There are lessons here that can be learned however.  For those family 
members who have these kinds of medical issues, getting a GPS locator or 
something similar could reduce the time spent looking for lost adults.  
If a family member goes missing, report it as soon as possible, usually 
24 hours after the adult is overdue.  Time is the enemy.  We need to 
train police, fire, CERT, and other community responders about less 
common medical problems so that there is understanding and a quicker 
response established.  In Georgia, we have Mattie's call, but folks were 
saying that he wouldn't have qualified because he wasn't considered 
disabled.    I think that should be changed.  If Alzheimer's qualifies, 
labile diabetes should also qualify.   And finally, make sure your 
friends know how you feel about them.  So often we are so wrapped up in 
our own lives that we fail to recognize that others might be 
suffering.   Look closer.


--
EarthNSky Farm  34.498N 85.076W
SISU! (Finnish--There is no single word in English that encompasses
all that sisu means, but it combines the following ideas: guts, pep,
determination, stubbornness, perseverance, hardiness, stamina, go, do,
nerve, spunk, pluck, and grit.  It's like "Just Do It!"&  "Go for It!")