BYOH- Bring Your Own Healthcare

I really am having a hard time trying to start this piece.

There's so many nuances of importance that add to and affect my feelings on the health care reform issue, but I'm afraid to expound too much on some of them for fear of taking away from my overall point, and, of course, of rambling on a bit, which I can slide into easily.

So, I will trudge forward and hope that you all will follow with patience.

I was waiting at my bus stop for the 46 to arrive around 9:15 Wednesday morning to check out the Tea Party Express rally, I wanted to see for myself what was being said. Up pulled a supervisor's van instead of the bus. Seems 46 broke down with air pressure problems at around 7:30 a.m. I thought it was great I still had a ride to scope out the rally but then I also wondered how people in wheelchairs in the NE that were relying on a bus with a lift/ramp were going to get there? (A working bus DID meet us at NorthGate)

On the bus was a gentleman I had seen around the Walmart/Trans Mtn area. Maybe late 40s or early 50s, raggedy clothes, with his cane and his walker with a seat. I have spoken with him before while waiting for buses. I know some of his plight and that he is waiting for SS/Disability to kick in. In the meantime he resorts to panhandling, walking (if you wanna call it that) the rock median and asking for help from passersby. Now before you judge- I have never smelled alcohol on this man's breath nor does he seem to have other characteristics to imply other socially unacceptable problems, except that he doesn't have a job and is disabled. He was sitting on the bus praying with a dollar in his cupped hands- and it wasn't a quick one. He then took his package of 2 poptarts and was praying over that. It was quite a humbling site, and ironic, as I was heading to a group of people at the Tea Party that I feel don't want to be their brother's keeper.

I cried behind my sunglasses.

And I cried that I did not have any money to give him as I live paycheck to paycheck, literally. And this was right before payday. But that day I did not feel hopeless for him, in fact the opposite. He had someone on his side stronger than me and I felt it!

So I exited the bus right at Sue Young Park and started walking to the gathering. The parking lot was full of cars and no one got off the bus with me. I was met with people trying to sell me "Don't Tread on Me" flags and pieces of conversation- mainly of the nature breaking down to "us and them". But there were two "thems". Government and Democrats.

It was not "us Americans" plurally.

Cds, books and t-shirts were being sold, also. Nothing was free. Everything had a price. Go Capitalism! The new religion of the selfish! (just a smidgen of sarcasm) I looked around for someone possibly giving out water- none. I was amazed I didn't even see anyone SELLING water- what an opportunity missed! (I've never been to this park and didn't know if there was a water fountain somewhere)

I wasn't walking around with a mini flag, no buttons stating how American I am, no military affiliation colors worn- just me. A free American trying to understand another's point of view.

The thing is, there are many valid points made by some at these rallies. Unfortunately, alot of them are drowned out by the more vocal and radical. Some feel they need to be extreme or dramatic to make their point, which I feel is counter-productive. The fact that health care needs to be reformed is a strong enough point.

If we came together as united Americans we would have more numbers and a bigger impact, and then work out the finer details together.

Anyway, I'm walking around and listening. You could say my ears were perked. The signs that were being held up were everywhere, shouting out the words socialist! marxist! muslim! my money!

It was getting quite hot and humid and I was looking forward to going home and having some cool water. A funny thought ran across my mind. What if I passed out right here in front of everyone from heat exhaustion or dehydration? Would any of these people help me up?

And I thought of the man on the bus, and now probably sweating out there in the street at Trans Mtn/Woodrow Bean, and I was hoping he had enough money for lunch.

And I wondered how long he'd have to be out there before the government powers that be and people that only see him as a beggar decided he was poor enough and sick enough to be worthy of help?