Why do We Need a Campaign?
For decades, federal policies grounded in a long, expensive and failing policy of drug prohibition have created great difficulties for law-abiding Americans who have chronic and severe pain from medical conditions, diseases or permanent damage from traumatic injuries.
Misinformation, distortions and political optics, have led government officials, most of whom have no medical training, to promote and enact legislation that overrides our doctors’ own judgment when it comes to the treatment of pain.
Citizens who suffer chronic and severe pain wishing to take to the streets to make an appeal for the redress of our grievances face unique difficulties.
The Blue Balloon Campaign was conceived as a way for pain patients and supporters to participate in spreading our message. Our central symbolic activity will be the release and distribution of balloons - ideally blue, although any color is fine. Drawing on a face such as used on pain charts is encouraged. Participants unable to travel can release balloons from home.
Patients, loved ones and concerned citizens who are able are encouraged to perform releases of balloons from a public place, ideally a location visible to officials who work for agencies such as the DEA, FDA, CDC, at federal or state buildings, or medical facilities.
Participants may distribute balloons and flyers (available in PDF form from blueballooncampaign@outlook.com) explaining the Blue Balloon Campaign to passersby.
A balloon bouquet with suitable message can be sent to individuals in government or media.
Participants are encouraged to record, photograph or write about their balloon release activities to post on the internet.
The campaign will kick off on Wednesday, May 15th, 2019. The choice of a midweek day is symbolic of pain patients’ desire to have pain treatment to participate in ordinary activities like working and participating in the community.
Key to the campaign is that it not be a one-time event. Releasing, distributing and sending balloons should be done periodically. Spread the word to any potentially interested parties at every opportunity.
What does the Blue Balloon Campaign Do?
For quite some time, I have been pondering the unique difficulties facing law-abiding American citizens who suffer chronic and severe pain from medical conditions for whom treatment with opiate medications is a safe and logical option that is severely and overly restricted by our government.
Like any Americans, we have the right to assemble and seek redress of our grievances, insufficient pain treatment limits the ability to participate by those most severely affected by lack of access to medications. This difficulty became particularly clear to me last year, when I travelled to my state capitol to participate in a nationwide series of events under the name “Don’t Punish Pain.” During the gathering, mention was made of numerous individuals unable to attend the vent due to insufficiently treated pain.
Americans suffering un- and under-treated pain clearly need a way to call attention to this difficult situation - including especially those whose pain leaves them homebound. One logical idea is a virtual protest on the internet, perhaps pain patients could have a channel to post videos about the issue.
But it seems that a combination of using the internet and activities in the real world would be able to generate more buzz. An internet pain patients channel posting videos, photos, interviews, stories and links to real world activism would generate a lot more opportunities to spread our message and call public attention to our concerns.
Finally, I hit upon the idea of releasing balloons. This would be a gentle activity. It would have visual appeal that could be shared via the internet, and could be done at a variety of locations - near government offices and medical facilities, or even from home.
Key Elements
Our most important tools are visibility, facts and logic.
The Blue Balloons are a symbol we can use to maximize our visibility.
Facts and links to sources of further information are available for free at this website - truth0rDARE.com.
If you find facts or sources you’d like to share, feel free to pass them along by posting a comment on the website or emailing BlueBalloonCampaign@outlook.com.
Question the policies and assumptions that the government puts out there: How does depriving patients of pain meds change the behavior of people who sell or use black market drugs - sympathetic magic? Why does our government place such rigid restrictions on law-abiding citizens with severe pain while our government provides free needles for people to inject illegally-purchased drugs?