Reflections on a Vigil

I went to another vigil in support of health care reform tonight. Some of my friends have said recently that they are sick of vigils and think we should get loud and take to the streets, that the term "vigil" brings to mind "wake." I tend to think they are right. Yet I'm glad I went, soley because of my belief that showing up is better than not showing up most of the time.

It was depressing, though. There were a bunch of anti-health care people all around and among us, carrying the usual fear-mongering "oh my god we're going to be socialists and die" posters. A man had one of those "scary" Obama masks on with a poster to match. When someone in a passing car screamed "Fuck Obama!" they all laughed long and loud, including the elderly woman carrying a "God Help Us" banner. I found myself wondering if I would have responded similarly a year ago if someone had yelled "Fuck Bush!" at a protest. Or if I would have infiltrated someone else's event and tried to dominate and take over the location. Answer: I'm not sure. I'd like to think not, but then I was not having charitable thoughts toward those, er, racist assholes, this evening. Thankfully, I neither said or did anything toward them. Well, when my friend and I drove off we yelled "HEALTH CARE NOW" at them. I felt a little better after that for some reason.

The most depressing part, however, were the stories from people from our group, people whose health and wealth had been decimated by this insane system. And they actually have insurance. That's the killer -- you can bankrupt yourself paying for health insurance, then lose everything when your insurance company doesn't keep its promise, a double-edged sword.

I wished that the people bemoaning socialism would have strolled on over and listened, then responded with their solutions for those folks, for me. Or at least just said, "We don't care if you go broke or die. Fuck Obama. Fuck you." Then I'd at least know.

I know I don't wish them dead or broke, so, you know, whew.

Well, I think the title of this piece holds up pretty well: "Reflections" indeed. That's all I got.

Now I'm Pissed

I've been reading the hysteria associated with health care reform for many moons now, with a mixture of bewilderment, amusement, and ire. Not sure why, but a letter from some woman in Haltom City on the editorial page of the Dallas Morning News was the proverbial straw that broke my aching, underinsured back.

Her brilliant conclusion, massive evidence to the contrary, was that anyone uninsured was either too lazy to work or here illegally, and her tax dollars were already being spent giving them free medical care.

Thank you. Thank you very much, you effing moron.

My husband is self-employed and I am his only other employee. We work hard, and have always paid our bills and taken care of our family. We are in reasonably good health (no, we do not smoke) and we pay...are you ready...$20,000 a year for a catastrophic policy. With the economy and our business struggling, we are now paying for that coverage from our dwindling savings. Every month we think we may drop it, but what if one of us does get seriously ill or hurt?

But, hey! Miss Haltom City, with her tiny little mind and her smug little world, can surely explain to me why I deserve nothing better. Bitch, please.