Sacklers Pay Up Or So They Say - But Can Money Erase the Screams?

Another Fine Mess

Alright people Ripley here. You know me survivor of the Nostromo face hugger enthusiast… sarcasm intended. Now I'm looking at this Purdue Pharma settlement this whole Sackler family situation. $7.4 billion huh? Sounds like a lot of money and it is but the deaths the addiction the absolute misery this company caused… they’re just gonna write a check and call it even? Reminds me of Weyland Yutani always covering their tracks with a smile and a big pile of credits. Except this time instead of a Xenomorph it’s OxyContin. Same difference: both monstrous.

Profits Over People

Attorney General James says the Sacklers put "profits over people." You don't say! I've seen that movie before people and it always ends the same: with a whole lot of innocent folks getting chewed up and spat out. "No amount of money can fully heal the destruction they caused," she says. Damn straight. You can't put a price on a life on a family torn apart or the nightmares that never go away. Believe me I know about nightmares that never go away.

The Devil's in the Details (and the Fine Print)

So this settlement… it's supposed to resolve thousands of lawsuits right? $6.5 billion from the Sacklers $900 million from Purdue Pharma. Payouts after bankruptcy approval. Sounds like a stall tactic to me. Like Bishop building a synthetics out of spare parts while the Alien is running loose on the ship. They’re hoping everyone gets tired of fighting and just goes away. I will not go away.

Supreme Court Smackdown

Last June the Supreme Court gave the Sacklers a solid no on their immunity deal. They tried to pull a fast one offering $6 billion for a get out of jail free card. Thankfully someone had the sense to tell them to shove it. You see people even the big guys aren't always untouchable. Sometimes justice like a Xenomorph just keeps coming.

850,000 Souls and Counting

Over 850,000 dead from opioid related overdoses since 1999. Numbers don't lie people. That's not just a statistic; those are lives. Fathers mothers sons daughters… all gone because someone decided their profits were more important. As Burke once said “Is that all they are to you Ripley? Units?” Well I say those "units" deserve justice. And a whole lot more.

Fight or Die (or at Least Make Them Pay)

Look this settlement it's not a victory. It's a Band Aid on a gaping wound. But it's something. It's a start. Maybe it'll help some people. Maybe it'll stop some more deaths. But we gotta keep fighting. We gotta hold these people accountable. We gotta make sure this never happens again. Remember what Lambert said? “We’re all gonna die.” Well maybe. But we’re not gonna let them get away with it without a fight. Now get out there and do something. I'm too old for this...but I'm still fighting.