No photos tonight. You'll have to imagine a crowded waiting room in our local medical clinic. This particular place was the lab center where everyone was there for blood tests and X-rays. I was there for a routine blood test my family practitioner wanted.
I was a walk-in at 9:30, but there was hardly a free chair in this windowless no-nonsence place. You go to the window with your insurance or Medicare card and they match it to the orders from your doctor. Then you wait to be called. Start to finish it takes less than an hour. I was prepared with the newspaper and some bills to be paid and my phone.
Every waiting room one ever inhabits seems to have a huge T.V. with Fox News prominately blasting, and this was no different.
The other people waiting were the usual dreary overweight lot who usually populate such places. Very old folks who were wringing their hands with anxiety, people with canes, youngish folks in tye die and flipflops, bald folks fresh from chemo, the whole range was there. No doubt all of them have an interesting back story to tell.
And then! The Fox news commentator recounted how Romney 'was not focused on the poor'. This room full of various folks erupted! Several people hollered out, "I'm poor!", "I'm poor!". I And then they had a full room discussion about this, kind of like the "peace" at the end of church where everyone embraces each other.
They spoke of having no income and housing was fragile. Fascinating. "I will never vote for him", most said. They recounted stories about how they had to get to the clinic on the bus and how long the journey took. Getting this bloodwork done was not an option, though they were poor. They did not know how they could pay for it (unless they were on Medicare or Medicaid, which about half were.) Romney hasn't a clue. A lot of them had already made the decision not to vote at all. But most of them were sure they were "poor". They did not feel they were in the middle class with some options. They were worried about about the 'safety net', though most seemed to be focused on how to get what they perceived as their fare share. Nothing complicated beyond getting the basics of life. These were not folks thinking about how to help their offspring pay for college or a PhD or law school.
Romney is way outside reality in America. I would love to have him (and tons of other politicians of either stripe) actually visit the school where I volunteer. He would see what "poor" is. He would see that this must be a true focus. These amazing folks cannot be simply dismissed because they can always be caught by a government safety net (that he wants to blast holes in!) These kids are every bit as bright and worthy as those whose parents pay $50,000 per year for their child's school. I will bet that the Romney family sends their kids to Exeter or Choate, never look back. And that's O.K. But, please call a duck a duck.
Most of the people living in poverty are kids! We need to pay attention to them.
Aargh! So much mean spiritness from our politicians, mostly those old guys in suits who are far from the issues of pregnancies unwanted or untimely.
I am over the top. Goodnight!
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