NYC-WTC_000230710

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

THE NEW YORK! [MES. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2001

In ‘Uncharted Territory, ’ Giuliani C^pai^s Against Fear The reporter tried to continue: By JENNIFER STEINHAUER die elephant puppet. “This is the kind of i “There was a report this morning , ... , . ■ culture I like. Not like anthrax cultures." . that...” The mayor cut the reporter Yesterday, soon after the United States j Somebody sneezed. “Want to ' get off. “Can you imagine what Mariano C ipildl.’closed; and the world learned that ■ checked? . . —”- the . mayor said. Rivera must be like?” Mr. Giuliani nrore than-two dozen people on the Senate He wasn’t serious. “Only kidding,” he said ’“He probably has like ice water majority.leader’s staff had been exposed to said. "We’ve got to joke about this. It’s the j in his veins.” a potent form of anthrax, and Gov. George only way we’re going to all get through It.” ; He tries to draw lines, at least on E. Pataki and other state work- He does not mock those who are fearful. । the surface, to divide his many mes­ News ers began taking Cipro, and en- He answers hundreds of questions, doles out sages. Puppets are ushered out when Anaivsis' viruiimental -,testing began at information and, after a month of daily ( his health commissioner comes into Analysts Rudolph W. funerals and anthrax scares, acknowledges f a room for a briefing, and he rarely Giuliani held a news conference , that these are frightening times. J updates the number of dead at a with four large puppets. “This is very uncharted territory that news conference ifor lighter matters. The puppets were part of an effort to [ everybody fs in,” he said yesterday. He can sometimes seem a bit de­ publicize a cultural festival. But the mes- officials in Albany and Washington, tached, insisting that most New sage went beyond tourism. Yorkers are not afraid when conver­ It was part of Mr. Giuliani’s studied effort Mr. Giuliani seeks to balance the appetite for information against the sations around the city suggest oth­ > I potential for hysteria. But his tone is erwise. to appear calm, even relaxed, in the face of The mayor has also chosen to play distinctive. scary news and general uncertainty. At the ’ than most against panic. He seems to lean harder down the facts of one case, without heart of Mr. Giuliani’s message, one he is altering its essential truth, apparent­ increasingly alone in urging, is a conviction “Obviously there are two compet­ ly to keep the lines between threat 1 that panic can be as damaging, perhaps ing points of view here,” said Dr. and fear starkly drawn. even more damaging, than germs, and that Richard Fried, a Manhattan special­ For instance, while he immediate­ ist in infectious diseases who treated things could be worse. “So far this is all the woman at NBC who contracted ly acknowledged that a baby whose very, very psychological,” he said yester- ' mother took him to ABC had ■ . day, before making a reference to the Lon- anthrax. “ There is the necessity for shown symptoms of anthrax 'expo­ ' don blitz of World War II. “We’re not being ( public officials to keep people free of sure, he never revealed that theibaby a panic and to be realistic about what had fallen quite ill and that hi^ kid­ bombed every day, like the people of London the threat is. And those two paths were bombed every day and still able to go . intersect along the way.” neys nearly failed. The chiltfwas cm with their lives. So we can be just as given antibiotics and has recovered. brave as they were. This is easy, a lot easier . j Here is what he is up against: And while Mr. Giuliani said that than what they went through” ■ \ Every day for almost a week, there Other officials, including President Bush i has been a new anthrax scare in an everything was being tested at ABC, , and Governor Pataki, have urged Ameri- j office building in New York City and behind the scenes, ABC executives in other places around the nation. A revealed this week, he was holding 1 vast majority have been false ' cans to live normal lives, lo triumph over the F.E.I.’s feet to the fire, deeply alarms, but two New Yorkers have displeased with the speed at which ’ fear. But Mr. Bush's administration has also been infected. Offices, including his ' issued terrifyingly vague warnings of more the bureau was working. For securi­ own yesterday, have been tested for ty reasons, he and bis police commis­ I terror to come. Mr. Pataki is evacuating contaminants. He must convey a ‘ state offices and is taking antibiotics after sioner are loath to give out the sort of . flurry of medical and technical infor­ details that would provide the most ' anthrax bacteria were found in his Manhat­ mation to people who have already tan office suite. Public health experts now comfort, such as what the city is watched two office towers fall and doing to secure the subway system. i say there is no need to take antibiotics beard of a baby who became ill with I before being tested. The mayor’s own public schedule is anthrax after visiting an office build­ I Mr. Giuliani says that against the advice ing tor a birthday party. held under tighter wraps than usual. of people close to him he is taking no medi- But his demeanor is calm, at times “ 1 think it is always a very difficult , I cines for anthrax. At news conferences Insouciant. He speaks frequently of question, how much Information you filled with questions about fear, he still talks dining out. He likes it, and wants give out,” said Jerome M. Hauer, the about the Yankees, encourages people to go others to do more of it. When he is former head of the mayor’s Office of to restaurants and peppers the conversation questioned beyond what he thinks is 1 with joking asides." A little culture, ” he said Emergency Management. “It is im­ reasonable during his daily briefing, portant that you give information out yesterday, before he tugged at the snout of he will abruptly turn the topic to on a frequent basis, but it has to be sports. accurate. You can't let the desire tor On Sunday, a reporter asked: information drive it. Because inaccu­ “There's a suspicion in Edison, N.J., rate information can be very very of a Ford worker that perhaps this harmfut, as we have seen that over individual was exposed to anthrax. the years with the Internet. ■ Could you update us on the status of “The balance you have to strike is that?” realizing that we live in an era where Mr. Giuliani replied: “Could some­ there are threats now, and letting body update me on the Giants score? You have the Giants score, Steve? people know that you can’t succumb Giants winning? Good. And we've got to these threats,” Mr. Hauer added. a big Yankee game this afternoon. “I think the mayor is right on this. Unbelievable game last night, unbe­ We need to be cautious, but we can’t lievable. Almost got a heart attack.” , crawl into holes. We need togo about living.”

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NYC-WTC_000230710