I hope that Netroots Nation 2012 has been a success. As a New Yorker, I had hoped to take a run up to Providence for a day. Events happened over the past week tor prevent my participation. More on that in a moment.
As a member of the Kos community, I have enjoyed the "tournament" of the most embarrassing/ridiculous moments from the Republican primary. When the bracket of 16 was published, my first thought was that it seemed as though the top seeds were "Let him Die!" and the crowd booing the gay soldier. Sure enough, I see they are the finalists. I had long believed that the average Republican citizen was pretty similar to the average Democratic citizen. Boy, was I wrong!
If you are reading this, I am going to assume that you are not:
a) Wolf Blitzer Asking Congressman Paul if we let the uninsured die.
b) Congressman Ron Paul
c) One of the two (2) Audience members who shouted "Yeah!"
d) Other members o the audience who applauded.
When the gay serviceman asked his question, it was easy to put a face (his) to the issue of gays in the military. Wolf's question was more abstract. With that in mind, I wish to attach a face to it. Unfortunately, that face is mine. Actually, two faces; the other belongs to you. You see, in addition to the person dying, there is someone letting it happen.
On June 1st, 2012, shortly after watching Johan Santana pitch the first no-hitter in NY Met's History, I was hit by a bus. I recall someone saying they saw what happened. Somebody called 911 (it wasn't me). Let me ask the "Let him die" crowd, if you saw a person hit by a bus, would you stand there and do nothing? New Yorkers are supposed to be the cold inattentive people in this country. If I'm lying in the street and you see the bus speeding away, do you ask if I have insurance before dialing 911?
As it turns out, in New York, there is something called MVAC. As a non-driver who was hit by a motor vehicle, there is a part of the state insurance package that mandates that the insurance on the vehicle responsible, unless, I am grossly negligent, covers me up to $50,000 and the hospital must accept that as full payment. In the event that I bring an action against the vehicle that hit me, and I recover damages, than the hospital can place a claim on a portion of those damages.
That previous paragraph may satisfy the tea party crowd, but I doubt they knew that. I didn't know that. I got hit by a bus. Let me die?
5:05 PM PT: Thank you all for your concern. The front right corner of the bus clipped my ankle. It cause multiple displacement fractures and something called de-gloving. But the extent of my injuries was restricted to my left ankle. My left elbow scrape came not from the bus, but from the street.