On Monday night, August 10, 2000 people gathered in the parking lot of LA's Forum, where the Lakers play basketball and concerts are hosted.
They weren't carrying signs about "death panels", and they didn't declare President Barack Obama a nazi. They weren't organizing to decry the "socialism" of health insurance reform, and they didn't scream loudly (if delusionally) that the state of healthcare in America is "just fine".
They gathered - men and women, young and old - employed and out of work - children - so that they could get a number and be admitted to the Forum on August 11 to receive free healthcare.
Via The LA Times:
More than 2,000 sought services on the first day of the medical clinic -- and hundreds were turned away. People were lined up Tuesday night, hoping to get in. The MTA announced it was extending service of Line 115 because of "overwhelming demand" for service to the clinic, which runs for eight days.
The event was held by Remote Area Medical (RAM). RAM's mission is as follows:
The Remote Area Medical® (RAM) Volunteer Corps is a non-profit, volunteer, airborne relief corps dedicated to serving mankind by providing free health care, dental care, eye care, veterinary services, and technical and educational assistance to people in remote areas of the United States and the world.
My emphasis added. I wouldn't consider Los Angeles a "remote" area of either the United States or the larger world. Clearly, RAM believed that Los Angeles is now at least on par, healthcare-wise, with the poorest areas in the world. CNN covered the first day of the RAM LA Expedition on its live broadcast (transcript):
Volunteering to help the uninsured here. Now one group that brings free medical care to remote areas is setting up shop this week in the big city, that big city, Los Angeles.
And CNN's Ted Rowlands is live now in the L.A. suburb of Inglewood this morning. So, Ted, good morning to you. I understand people have actually been lining up. There's something like 3:00 a.m. West Coast time.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Heidi, actually they've been out here all night. People came in at 11:00 last night and they spent the night. This is a line going into the forum here and that's where they'll be getting the medical attention.
::snip::
One of the people that was out here last night early this morning and starting last night and has spent the entire morning here is Jamelle Williams, and you're here for what?
JAMELLE WILLIAMS, UNINSURED WORKER: Glasses, teeth cleaning, and possibly a pap smear if I have time.
ROWLANDS: You have two jobs, you're not insured.
WILLIAMS: Right.
ROWLANDS: So how -- why -- I mean, what's your situation? In terms of -- you just don't go to the dentist? Don't go get your eyes checked?
WILLIAMS: Well, no, I was out of work for about nine months, and I was a full-time student for about five years, and so once I needed services, I would try to go but couldn't afford it or wouldn't qualify for free, and I applied and have a share of costs with the medic house system. And so, you know, this is just the best opportunity that I could take to get the services that I need.
Clearly, Jamelle Williams is a slacker. I mean - full time student and two jobs? Clearly she's not working hard enough to afford decent healthcare. So many of us are happy with our own healthcare - why should we worry about the Jamelle Williams' of this world??
Contrast Jamelle Williams' real-life comments in Los Angeles with those of batshit insane Katy Abram, stay-at-home mom and resident of Lebanon, PA. She asked a question of Arlen Specter at a healthcare town hall yesterday:
ABRAM: I'm a Republican. But first and foremost, I'm a conservative. I don't believe that this is just about healthcare. It's not about TARP, it's not about left and right. This is about the systematic dismantling of this country. I'm only 35 years old, I've never been interested in politics. You have awakened the sleeping giant. We are tired of this. This is why everyone in this room is so ticked off. I don't want this country turning into Russia, turning into a socialized country. My question for you is, what are you going to do to restore this country back to what our founders created according to the Constitution.
Katy got wild applause for her off-topic rant. I wonder - was she equally as outraged when the Constitution was being trampled by her fellow Republican George W. Bush? Did she show up at her Congressman's office to decry the trampling of her rights? Somehow I doubt it. Katy illuminated her statement and newfound fame on CNN's American Morning earlier today:
CHETRY: Did you know at the time when you showed up to ask that question that that was going to be the response from people in the crowd?
KATY ABRAM, STAY-AT-HOME MOM: No. I didn't even know that was the question I was going to ask, to be honest with you.
That's funny. Looks to me from this YouTube video like she was reading off a card (start at about 5 minutes in to get to her section).
CHETRY: You talk about this. You said that you're a conservative and a Republican, but you're not somebody who's really ever into politics, the day-to-day politicking out there. What made you change your mind when you told the senator that you've awakened a sleeping giant? How did that happen?
ABRAM: You know, over the past couple months I've seen on the news how they were doing the TARP package and trying to bail out banks and auto companies. And I saw a lot of really reckless things.
And next thing I see is this health care reform that they're bringing through, or the nationalized health care. That really was the nail in the coffin for me, I guess you could say. That woke me up.
Apparently, Katy's not a fan of - you know - reading and stuff. Just go back to sleep, Katy. Enjoy The Biggest Loser and FOX "News".
CHETRY: And what is your health care situation right now? I mean just to give some perspective. We said that you're a stay-at- home mom. How many kids do you have, are you covered, are they covered?
ABRAM: Yes. My children, I have a seven-year-old daughter named Madelyn -- hi, Maddie -- a little four-year-old named Sam -- hi, Sam -- they'll love that. And we have a health savings account. We're self-employed. And so we pay for our own health care insurance.
We have a high deductible. We pay out towards our insurance every month. And typically every year we are paying for our own health care, doctor's visits and everything ourselves.
So ok - first, you're not paying for your own health "insurance" if you're using an HSA. And second, you better pray that Maddie doesn't get diagnosed with Leukemia. Because under the current system, you're going to be shit out of luck unless you can pay for her healthcare. And even if you can manage to get through that, under our current system, no one's going to insure Maddie because of her pre-existing condition.
CHETRY: Do you think it could be better? You think health care in general in this country could be improved?
ABRAM: Absolutely. I'm not -- I don't know everything about health care. I know that it's not a perfect system.
But I don't necessarily believe that having the government in control of it is the solution. I mean I've never seen them do anything that that's worked, to be honest with you. So the last thing I want them to have control of is my health care.
Yes, we're aware you don't know everything about healthcare. Typically, when something concerns you that you don't know a lot about, you learn about it. But I digress. And I wonder - did Katy drive to the event that day? Do her kids go to school, have they learned how to read, can they add? Does she have parents or grandparents who are on Medicare? How about Social Security? But yeah - government never does anything that works.
CHETRY: You said to Arlen Specter as well, "What are you going to do to restore this country back to what our founders created according to the constitution?" What were you trying to get at with him there? What did you mean by that?
ABRAM: What I meant by that is when -- from the little bit that I've read, I'm not -- was never a history major. This is, like I said, new to me.
I've been reading about the founders, I've been reading the constitution. And the founders did not look to the government as being the solution for the problems in this country. It doesn't say in the constitution "Give out free health care to people. Bail out the auto companies. Do all these things."
The people of this country can be self-sufficient and take care of ourselves. I'm just looking for the government to get the heck out of my way.
Where do I start. First, God forbid one of your children gets sick - but if they DO, get back to me on the whole self-sufficient thing right after you've declared bankruptcy and have lost your home because of the crushing bills that you didn't cover through your HSA. Second, if you're that self-sufficient, knock yourself out. No one's making you do anything. Third, I don't think it was necessary for you to point out that you're not a history major. That was abundantly clear.
CHETRY: And were you happy with the response that you got from Arlen Specter?
ABRAM: Um -- you know, honestly, I think the true response will be what happens when this bill is brought over to the Senate. My understanding is it's in Congress right now, and so it hasn't necessarily crossed the line over into the Senate. So the proof is in the pudding. We'll see what he does.
Uh... Ok. Congress is the Senate and the House of Representatives. One would think that your extensive reading of the founders and the Constitution would have made that clear. But maybe she didn't get that far.
I'm sorry to be such a snob - but seriously? This is what is distracting from the crucial debates about the state of Healthcare in the United States? Meta-Jesus weeps.
So while the lucky 1,500 people in Los Angeles received their numbers which allowed them entry to get free medical, dental and vision care, and while the unlucky turned-away people were told to come back the next day to try again, Katy asked her question, and it became the "sleeping giant" heard round the world.
As 500+ mothers, fathers, children, grandparents, brothers and sisters went back to their homes to plan to show up again at the Los Angeles Forum that very same night in the hopes of getting seen by a doctor or a dentist the next day, another questioner got up to ask a question of Arlen Specter (this is at about 7:50 on the YouTube video):
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you for coming, Senator. We appreciate you showing courage to visit the uh... the people who have sent you to Washington, the Republicans. I'd like to ask you a question. Can I - could I see a show of hands in the room please? That sharing our views with our elected officials is unamerican? I just want to see a show of hands of the people in the room...
SPECTER TOWN HALL AIDE: Do you have a question for the Senator?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes I do, yeah. [garbled crosstalk] Thank you, Senator. Can I see a show of hands of the people in this room that believe we have the right to share our views with our elected officials? Okay. [to Specter] Take that to Nancy Pelosi. I would like to state that I am in opposition of this healthcare. The government hasn't done anything right. One of our Pennsylvanians last week asked you the question with the results from social security - bankrupt - medicare - bankrupt - medicaid - bankrupt. You're taking our kids' future - post office - taking our kids' future and driving it right into the toilet. We cannot afford this. Period. Keep the government out of it. We're doing just fine. Thank you sir.
I'm not even going to address the bizarre parts of that statement as well as the factual inaccuracies it contains. What leaps at me is the idea that we're doing just fine. I bet the 1,500 people getting free medical care in LA and the hundreds of others who hope to get it don't think it's all "just fine".
It blows my mind that these people are so unabashedly narcissistic that they can't seem to comprehend the idea of people sleeping in a parking lot in the hopes of receiving free health care - that they can't comprehend that people work, have jobs, pay taxes, and still can't afford decent healthcare. These town hall astroturfers show up - one by one - many holding Bibles and citing God's judgment yet totally fail to see the irony: if there's judgment to be had, it is they who will be judged.
I'm starting to believe that these crazies, these self-absorbed assholes are, eventually, going to be doing us a BIG favor. It's starting to remind me of Sarah Palin's tone-deaf "Paling around with terrorists" mantra. The worm turned on that one, because it attracted the fringiest of the fringe and started to underscore that only batshit insane people wholeheartedly backed the McCain Palin ticket. So I say - get out there. Speak your mind (such as it is). Soon enough, the vast majority of normal people will be too embarrassed to claim you.
(Diarists note: It's my birthday today. And this is how I'm spending it, writing on Daily Kos! Woot!)
Update [2009-8-12 21:10:37 by RenaRF]: My major bad. I should have put the donation link to RAM in this diary when I posted it. Here it is.
Donate to RAM
Update [2009-8-12 21:10:37 by RenaRF]: Jeffrey Feldman posted this EXCELLENT YouTube about RAM from a 60 minutes segment. It's worth watching every second of it.