I've said it before. I was afraid to move down here because I knew I wouldn't mix well with the Bible thumpers.
I'm not talking about the genuinely pious people who are kind, giving, salt of the earth folk who quietly live their faith. I admire them.
I'm talking about the freaks who use religion as an excuse to judge, belittle and hammer others.
I faced my demons on Friday. Literally. I picketed for the first time in my life. We were ridiculed by a small cluster of old white guys with nice pensions, loose dentures and belts under their armpits.
Funny ... outside their side looked like Grumpy Old Men and ours looked like Calendar Girls. (The younger people were still at work and school - they joined us later. Still, we had them way outnumbered outside. Inside, we were about 100 in all, but we seemed like more.)
Outside was pleasant compared to the tension inside. Friends will be amazed to know I endured six stressful hours without flipping anyone off or dropping f-bombs.
I was not familiar with Connie Mack. What a smarmy talking head. We made him nervous; he stumbled over much of his intro. His theme was "The Democrats' Health Care Bill is a Prescription for Disaster."
When his comments were unbearable, I DID blurt out BULLSHIT ... loud enough for three rows to hear, but not loud enough to get myself removed.
The southern gentleman (whose right hip was pressed against my left hip) shifted uncomfortably in his chair when he realized he was not sitting with his own kind. We muttered shots at each other backways over our shoulders through the whole damned thing.
It was like being married.
Here's the article; I'm the last quote in Liz Freeman's article, which I consider quite a compliment.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/oct/02/mack-health-care-town-hall-fort-myers/
Here's what I posted to comments. (If you're in a hurry, scroll right down to the confession I have highlighted in red. It just blew me away, you need to read it.)
"If I were Catholic I'd be heading to confession for the amount of RAGE I felt last night. I was seated next to a family of affluent self-righteous Republicans who were talking about people in need as if they were subhuman sewer dwellers.
HEAR ME. There are not just two levels of society in this country - "Haves" and "Have-nots" - there are THREE. Let's talk about the HADS for a minute. We HAD jobs, we HAD health insurance. We didn't BUY investment properties when all you needed to get a mortgage was a pulse. We AREN'T extravagant. We didn't EARN the crisis we're in today. (Don't even pretend Obama did not INHERIT this mess from "The Decider".)
Every time Mack mentioned "health savings accounts" my stomach turned. Who among us could afford a savings account? We can barely afford food!
The insurance companies were getting wealthier as Mack stood there using all those pretty words that said ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
When Karen Ramdeen spoke I wanted to stand up and applaud!!! She had something real to say! She is sick, she is my age, she doesn't know where to turn. What did they do? They said THERE ARE SOLUTIONS - SEE US AFTER THE EVENT.
If there are solutions for her, where are the solutions for the rest of us? Where is that information? Where are those clinics? I have nowhere to turn EITHER.
Are some of you people aware that there are some of us who face life and death crises and avoid Emergency Rooms for fear our grown children will be called and risk their finances on our behalf?
WE DO THAT.
I spent all day Thursday seeking affordable health care online. (I know, contradiction in terms.) Everyone should do this to see what it's like for The Hads. You'll find forms that obviously cherry-pick only health people. I got frustrated and actually made a call and was sent to a high-pressure agent for some scam group policy. I researched online while she pressured me on the phone; a less savvy caller would have been duped.
I went back to BCBS, went through all their forms and waited to be told if I was accepted. The only way you can find out is by PAYING UP FRONT. They took my money and left me hanging!! That was over a week ago, I still don't know.
We have to put a lid on that industry!!!
Remember this: One American dies every 12 minutes because they don't have health insurance. This is MSNBC quoting Harvard Medical School, 9/17/09 - look it up.
You Christians out there ... WWJD? How many need to die before you put aside your prejudices?
READ THIS COMMENT BY AN ENGLISHWOMAN WHO LIVES HERE!
I really do feel terribly sorry for those without any means of care. We have been fortunate to have the financial means to overcome any illness or injury. And even more fortunate that if ever we were to have financial difficulties, we can always go back to England for great care. Having said that; I am however against a public option on the basis of my financial investments. A government funded option would compete with my health industry investment profits. And folks, that's the bottom line of this debate! Not socialism or rationing care for the elderly or even hating Obama "the communist" (that's funny) - it's profits! Al Hoffman and the like; including I, don't want our investment earnings to diminish.
I commented on her comment -
"Two words - BLOOD MONEY! How do you sleep at night?!"
Anyway, let's end with a ray of light and a bit of a laugh:
Hooray Alan Grayson, Orlando - http://crooksandliars.com/node/31678
I want to make one last comment about what it feels like to face these people down.
IT FEELS WAY DAMNED GOOD!!!
I'm not talking about the genuinely pious people who are kind, giving, salt of the earth folk who quietly live their faith. I admire them.
I'm talking about the freaks who use religion as an excuse to judge, belittle and hammer others.
I faced my demons on Friday. Literally. I picketed for the first time in my life. We were ridiculed by a small cluster of old white guys with nice pensions, loose dentures and belts under their armpits.
Funny ... outside their side looked like Grumpy Old Men and ours looked like Calendar Girls. (The younger people were still at work and school - they joined us later. Still, we had them way outnumbered outside. Inside, we were about 100 in all, but we seemed like more.)
Outside was pleasant compared to the tension inside. Friends will be amazed to know I endured six stressful hours without flipping anyone off or dropping f-bombs.
I was not familiar with Connie Mack. What a smarmy talking head. We made him nervous; he stumbled over much of his intro. His theme was "The Democrats' Health Care Bill is a Prescription for Disaster."
When his comments were unbearable, I DID blurt out BULLSHIT ... loud enough for three rows to hear, but not loud enough to get myself removed.
The southern gentleman (whose right hip was pressed against my left hip) shifted uncomfortably in his chair when he realized he was not sitting with his own kind. We muttered shots at each other backways over our shoulders through the whole damned thing.
It was like being married.
Here's the article; I'm the last quote in Liz Freeman's article, which I consider quite a compliment.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/oct/02/mack-health-care-town-hall-fort-myers/
Here's what I posted to comments. (If you're in a hurry, scroll right down to the confession I have highlighted in red. It just blew me away, you need to read it.)
"If I were Catholic I'd be heading to confession for the amount of RAGE I felt last night. I was seated next to a family of affluent self-righteous Republicans who were talking about people in need as if they were subhuman sewer dwellers.
HEAR ME. There are not just two levels of society in this country - "Haves" and "Have-nots" - there are THREE. Let's talk about the HADS for a minute. We HAD jobs, we HAD health insurance. We didn't BUY investment properties when all you needed to get a mortgage was a pulse. We AREN'T extravagant. We didn't EARN the crisis we're in today. (Don't even pretend Obama did not INHERIT this mess from "The Decider".)
Every time Mack mentioned "health savings accounts" my stomach turned. Who among us could afford a savings account? We can barely afford food!
The insurance companies were getting wealthier as Mack stood there using all those pretty words that said ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
When Karen Ramdeen spoke I wanted to stand up and applaud!!! She had something real to say! She is sick, she is my age, she doesn't know where to turn. What did they do? They said THERE ARE SOLUTIONS - SEE US AFTER THE EVENT.
If there are solutions for her, where are the solutions for the rest of us? Where is that information? Where are those clinics? I have nowhere to turn EITHER.
Are some of you people aware that there are some of us who face life and death crises and avoid Emergency Rooms for fear our grown children will be called and risk their finances on our behalf?
WE DO THAT.
I spent all day Thursday seeking affordable health care online. (I know, contradiction in terms.) Everyone should do this to see what it's like for The Hads. You'll find forms that obviously cherry-pick only health people. I got frustrated and actually made a call and was sent to a high-pressure agent for some scam group policy. I researched online while she pressured me on the phone; a less savvy caller would have been duped.
I went back to BCBS, went through all their forms and waited to be told if I was accepted. The only way you can find out is by PAYING UP FRONT. They took my money and left me hanging!! That was over a week ago, I still don't know.
We have to put a lid on that industry!!!
Remember this: One American dies every 12 minutes because they don't have health insurance. This is MSNBC quoting Harvard Medical School, 9/17/09 - look it up.
You Christians out there ... WWJD? How many need to die before you put aside your prejudices?
READ THIS COMMENT BY AN ENGLISHWOMAN WHO LIVES HERE!
I really do feel terribly sorry for those without any means of care. We have been fortunate to have the financial means to overcome any illness or injury. And even more fortunate that if ever we were to have financial difficulties, we can always go back to England for great care. Having said that; I am however against a public option on the basis of my financial investments. A government funded option would compete with my health industry investment profits. And folks, that's the bottom line of this debate! Not socialism or rationing care for the elderly or even hating Obama "the communist" (that's funny) - it's profits! Al Hoffman and the like; including I, don't want our investment earnings to diminish.
I commented on her comment -
"Two words - BLOOD MONEY! How do you sleep at night?!"
Anyway, let's end with a ray of light and a bit of a laugh:
Hooray Alan Grayson, Orlando - http://crooksandliars.com/node/31678
I want to make one last comment about what it feels like to face these people down.
IT FEELS WAY DAMNED GOOD!!!
1 comment:
While I chuckle at the cliched naivete of liberals such as yourself, and your sanctimonious observations, I appreciate the incisive comments and innovative thinking concerning your use of HAD's. With your approval, I shall make use of HAD's (with attribution to Babbling Boomer) on my campaign website: SAWYER2012.COM, and expand upon that thought profusely as time permits. Absent your assent or demurrer, I shall use it anyway,but take full credit for myself.
John W. Sawyer III
knowitall1@mail.com
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