Stabbed cabbie out of work, worries about feeding family

[47of74]

Source: CNN

"Ahmed is a strong man, but mentally he has limits," said Bhairavi Desai of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance. "The trauma he's experienced will last for a long time."

Desai spent time this weekend with Sharif. She said his most pressing worry is how he'll provide for his wife and four children -- including a 10-month-old --without a job. Sharif is receiving 2/3 of his salary, about $30,000 a year, in workers' compensation. Union members do not get health insurance or disability payments, Desai said.

"My guess is that he'll be unable to work for at least four months," Desai said. "He can't even pick up his baby because of the wounds to his arms. He can't turn his neck."

There's been so little money raised over the past few days for Sharif that it would "barely cover baby formula," said Desai who, along with Sharif, held a widely publicized press conference Friday announcing the union was creating a fund for the family. The union's website indicates how to mail a donation or give online.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/29/cab.driver.attacked/index.html?hpt=T2

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Here's where one can go to make a donation - http://www.nytwa.org/

I gave a few dollars. My way of helping out this man and his family, and also my way of saying up yours to all the right wing hate merchants out there who are partially responsible for this.

[hlthe2b]

1. Thank you... I can't give much at all, but I will send what I can

I hope others will as well.

[Angry Dragon]

2. It is time for limbaugh, beck, the tea party

to come up with some money

Let them put up money where their mouth is .....
let's see if they really believe in what they say

[GoddessOfGuinness]

10. +10 Isn't that what "reclaiming the Civil Rights Movement" is about?

I can't wait for them to put their full support behind marriage equality too.

[TheEuclideanOne]

13. Listen to the way the right wing talking heads are discussing this story

And the answer that you already know will be even clearer.

This would make the good premise for a movie.....A Right wing hate monger is one day forced to face all of the enemies he has created, including the many people who were killed as a result of people inspired by his hate speech.

[louis-t]

32. I am always reminded of the Twilight Zone episode

where a former concentration camp commandant makes a nostalgic visit to the camp he ran and is confronted by the ghosts of those he killed.

[liberalhistorian]

36. I remember that one!

SO chilling and well-done! At the end, when the former guard is made howling crazy and told by the main ghost (played by the same actor who then went on to play Ghandi in the Ghandi movie in the early 80's-Ben something, can't remember his last name now) that that is the way he will be from now on, it's an especially telling line when he then tells the guard that "this is not hatred or vengeance. This is justice."

Of course, as a Christian, I believe such people are and will be subject to such judgment and justice in the next world, and it won't be pretty. But I recognize and respect that not everyone believes in that and they want justice in this world.

[louis-t]

40. Wait, Ben Kingsley was the prisoner?

I did not know that. Thanks, I'll watch for it again. I know that show had a lot of future stars in it. Jack Klugman, William Shatner, Elizabeth Montgomery, Donna Douglas, Edson Stroll, Charles Bronson, Burgess Meredith, to name a few.

[liberalhistorian]

41. Yes, Kingsley, that's the name!

I knew him, but I couldn't remember the last name. Yes, indeed, that was him, probably in one of his first roles and he looked quite young. I love watching TZ, have for many years. One of the things I enjoy is picking out the future well-known stars and seeing them before they were well-known.

[MichaelHarris]

3. Want to see the ugly in America?

Read the comments on the story in any paper in America who covered this.

[AsahinaKimi]

7. This one was pretty good;

gar1008 I'm going to send money to help him. I wouldn't do it for a Tea Bagger.

[47of74]

8. Neither would I anymore

[Lightning Count]

4. Wait, he was making 45K with 4 kids in NYC?

Yikes.

[TheEuclideanOne]

12. That means that the spiral begins for him

Assuming that he is living paycheck to paycheck....Aside from his hospital bills and time lost, bills mount up, a month or two not only mean lost income, but bills that pile up that he will have to pay when he starts bringing in money. 45K with 4 kids in NYC is practially poverty even when you are getting paid, let alone getting out of this ditche that he will be in financially the longer he is out of work.

[Lightning Count]

19. I've lived in NYC. I was making 1000$ in net pay a week.

I was living in a converted brownstone near Spanish Harlem with 9 other roommates in a room the size of most walk-in closets and was barely scraping by. I don't see how anyone can live on 45K in that city especially with 4 kids.

[rurallib]

5. Mark to send some tomorrow.

[Mika]

6. Only in America are you attacked by a zealot and then rendered unable to feed the family.

:puke:

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[Lorien]

25. Yep. So much for "United we stand"

Americans love to spend money on a nebulous idea of "protecting our freedoms" from "terrorists", while real terrorists here at home get away with stealing an American's freedom to earn a living. Total madness.

[blue sky at night]

9. thanks for the heads up...

if only people who are nearly killed didn't have to suffer like this....we are truly a mess in this country. I hope he gets an attorney and sues the shit out of the right-wing asshole that did this to him.

btw, your tag line always makes me laugh, thanks for that too.

[alp227]

11. Let's donate.

Please show your support while Limbeckannity et al. begin howling "he deserved it! he deserved it!" Stand up against hate and for the working American!

[47of74]

15. That's part of why I donated

To say screw you to all those right wingers who are stirring up all this religious hatred in this country.

[jennied]

14. This makes me so furious!

[Withywindle]

16. Thanks for posting this.

There's so much shame in this story. Shame for a hate crime - and shame for the way this country treats working people.


Please post this in GD too - more people might see it there.

[kirby]

17. Donation sent n/t

[tblue37]

18. k&r

[kag]

20. Just sent a few dollars. Hope it helps.

I wonder if he could sue Limbeckannity (thanks to previous poster for this shorthand)? I wonder if they could show a direct connection between the guy who did this and the vile speech spewed out of those idiots every day? Seems like a longshot, but it sure would be nice. And appropriate.

[Frisbee]

21. Thanks for the link.

I made a donation and did so in memory of: The America I Used to Know and had the notification sent to [e-mail]

Does anyone know of a link to help with the Mosque in TN? (Hey, this is coming from an Atheist, so you KNOW they have pissed me off!)

Dedication: In memory of The America I Once Knew. A notice will be e-mailed to mailto:[e-mail]

[47of74]

26. Wish I had thought of that when I donated.

[Vehl]

22. thank you for the link. nt

[rpannier]

23. Many of the responses are appaling

I clicked the link to report them.
I doubt it will do any good
It's CNN after-all

I am donating to this man

[proReality]

24. K&R n/t

[valerief]

27. What about the shit who stabbed him? He should support him. But I guess

that would be like anti-abortionists taking in unwanted babies.

Poor guy. What a shame for him and his family.

[47of74]

28. Hopefully there's an attorney out there...

...who will help with that part.

[Lightning Count]

29. The guy's a film student in a mental ward.

I doubt he has the assets.

[valerief]

30. Don't film students have rich parents? nt

[Lightning Count]

31. No. And so parents should be to blame for the mentally ills actions?

I would not want to open up that bag of worms.

[Posteritatis]

39. Film students are generally adults. (nt)

[kimmylavin]

33. Donated.

Not much, but you can build up quite a bit from a lot of not much.
Happy to join my fellow DUers in donating to help this man.

[Odin2005]

34. Make the bigots pay for it!

[Barack_America]

35. "Union members do not get health insurance or disability payments"

How far the American worker has fallen.

[unapatriciated]

37. this would be the same for non-union members who's employers offer disability insurance

a private disability plan pays a higher percentage of your earnings than state disability insurance (you can not collect both). So he is getting more than he would from SDI (which is still not much). Unfortunately health insurance eligibility (union and non-union benefits) is based on minimum hours worked (20-30 depending on employer or union contract). This is another reason we need universal health care that is not tied to employment.

So his being in a union with the benefit of private disability insurance is actually better for him. It still is not enough but it is better than what he would get on SDI.

[Alameda]

38. I wish there was a PayPal link. I like it more.

[562dem]

42. I think he should sue that islamophobe

for all he got and more. Let that stabber pay for all his expenses for the rest of his life