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Bird's Blog

Poetry, musings, observations, commentary, rants, confessions...and who knows what else!

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Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Teacher, writer, poet, grandmother, lover, wine-drinker, chocolate eater, beach comber, hiker, traveler, Giants fan, San Franciscan. All work on this blog is copyrighted material.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Something surprising, and yet not so ...

My sister called me today and told me she had something to tell me that would make me roll my eyes, would surprise me while at the same time not surprise me, and then would make me laugh. I had all of those reactions to her tale. Here’s the story:

My sister owns a small business in Nevada.

Today, she purchased insurance for her business.

And was informed that the Federal Government requires her to carry terrorism insurance. (Surely this requirement has something to do with the Terrorism Insurance Act of 2002 – though frankly, I grew bored and could neither read nor scan the document to completion in order to verify that assumption.)

My sister will now pay an annual premium to protect her business (an alteration and bridal shop) in the event a terrorist attacks it.

Presumably, she is at low risk for such an attack, but you never know. Perhaps a terrorist will consider her shop a prime target. Or perhaps the local drive-through coffee kiosk near her business will be attacked and her business will be collateral damage. Mayhap she is more of a target than we know – she is, after all, highly regarded in her community and the loss of her business would wreak havoc with many a bride, bridesmaid, prom queen, and countless others who come to her for repairs, hems, Halloween costumes, draperies, etc. Oh! And let us not forget – she does the alterations (and per military regulations) for locals who join the Marines. Yes – that could make her a target indeed. No matter, the main point is: she is required to purchase the insurance.

My sister merely rolled her eyes, signed the papers, and wrote the check when her insurance agent informed her of this requirement.

I, on the other hand, have questions. For example:

How does the insurance policy define “terrorist” and “act of terrorism”?

Does the policy insure for both domestic and foreign terrorist attacks?

If an alleged terrorist allegedly sets a bomb off in my sister’s business, which in turn creates an inferno, does my sister’s regular fire and damage policy supersede the terrorist insurance? What if her regular policy actually provides more coverage - can she claim the damage on the policy that pays more?

And here’s a sticky wicket: my sister cannot, of course, get insurance for such things as tornadoes, hurricanes, etc., as they are deemed to be “acts of god.” But many terrorists believe they are acting on behalf of god. So if a terrorist attacks my sister’s business, and that terrorist then claims the act to be of god, is my sister’s terrorist insurance then moot?

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15 Comments:

Blogger J Cosmo Newbery said...

It seems to me the whole process is an act of terrorism. The government uses terrorism as a 'crowd control' agent; the insurance companies point to the government created 'risk' and say 'look, they say it's true, pay up'.

May 29, 2007 11:03 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

nice to see you Cosmo -
the whole thing seems like a parody one would see on some political comedy show....

it's almost theater of the absurd, though not quite.

flap/flap/flap

May 30, 2007 7:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

it would be comical
if it weren't so F'ing true

insurance (and banking) must be the two biggest capitalist scams in the world, right up there with neo-con politics and all of that born again bullshit

and that TV commercial, "but wait, there's more!"

iraq too dangerous for little prince billions, but not for regular shit like you or i, or the 10 americans killed there on your memorial day

-F BUSH

May 30, 2007 8:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am not generally a conspiracy theorist, but just as some say we used 9/11 as a pretense to attack Iraq (and thereby richen oil companies and contractor companies such as Halliburton), it seems to me that the Congress' corporate donors in the insurance industry would certainly benefit from federal requirements to buy terrorism insurance... eh???

bird, come check out my review of the bloggers summit we had last weekend... dog was there, and others... pics included!

PS: the other attendees have all published their own take on the summit, too...

May 30, 2007 11:53 AM  
Blogger Erika said...

Now, does this mean if, heaven forbid, your sister is ever stalked, she is covered? I'd definitely call stalkers domestic terorrists.

May 30, 2007 10:43 PM  
Blogger darkfoam said...

ridiculous...
sounds like bullying mob activity to me..
oops, no, it's the federal government..

May 31, 2007 6:27 PM  
Blogger boneman said...

Strangely, your post also reflects the very thing that moron, bush, has decided we don't need to worry about anymore.
(probably didn't write that right, but, lemmee 'splain it better...)

How in the name of heaven can we age wqar on terrorism when our nation was founded on the premise that terrorism is OK?
'Course, republicans (and I use the term loosely because I am a republican, just not one of those modern, nose in everybody's business republican)
....where was I?...oh yeah....

...republicans are still upset about England losing the revolutionary war. And, folks shouldn't be so surprised by that for a plethora of reasons....
REDcoats for one.
one guy in charge (king, president) fer another, but, no sense in getting mired in the politics of it.
(politics...coming from the root words, poly, meaning many, and ticks, bloodsucking parasites)

The militias that fought the british back in the 1700's were cited as terrorists themselves. Hiding behind trees and shooting the redcoats down as they marched bravely (synonym for stupidly) toward the camp of the enemy.

We continued our terrorist activity by decimating the population that already lived here, showing no regard for fair or equitable to the peoples. At more than one time, marching women and children into ditches and killing them all.

Jefferson's terrorist document, the Declaration of Independence, is not looked at with any pride of accomplishment by the present administration; executive branch, legislative branch, or judicial branch.

And, as it turns out, the presidents that previously came from California, have actually made it OK for businesses to ream the people without worry, taking all they can get their greedy lil hands on. Nixon, the guy who got us sent to Viet Nam in the first place and Reagan, the guy who evidently had no guts to demand that China NOT shoot down our passenger airliners, both gave big business way more power than they would need to completely rape and pillage the USA.

OK, I'm just gonna "go off" on those two guys, and that wouldn't have anything to do with yer post, other than what I just mentioned so.....how about I just wander off fer a bit?
Good luck to yer sis, though. And, on a personal note, she probably doesn't need extra powerful insurance so much as a great lawyer. After all. They found OJ innocent, didn't they?

June 01, 2007 10:08 AM  
Blogger lettuce said...

i'd blame the coffee kiosk

June 01, 2007 1:24 PM  
Blogger Jack K. said...

bird, you have opened a whol sh*tpot full of questions/ideas.

Sis may just be a terrorist target by virtue of her business. Based upon the styles of gowns many modern brides are wearing, most fundamentalist religious zealots would deem the wearer ungodly and fit for stoning. Ergo, the purveyor of such raiment ought be a target. We must keep women pure. We must not let them lead men astray with their strutting around like strumpets/harlots/etc.

On the other hand, the questions you asked toward the end of you posting are extremely valid ones. I am not an attorney nor insurance agent, but those question need to be asked and answered.

Give sis our best and remind her that she may be able to pack heat if she is properly licensed, or not.

Don't we have the right to protect ourselves? giggle.

If that is so, lets vote ALL of the rascals out.

June 02, 2007 9:57 AM  
Blogger Polly said...

Surely "Acts of God" are the greatest 'terrorism' you can experience? Ask the people of New Orleans!

This is just another one of those money making exercises businesses can foist onto poeple...because they CAN.

Stupid erratic crap.
Like some of the inhabitants of my little village believing that they would be bombed here in Australia!
F*****g stupid!

Wedding dresses...ohhhh so scary and threatening!

Good post. WE need to keep the subject current....to see how many years it will take for the politicisation of the aweful events will be realised.

June 05, 2007 5:46 PM  
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