To The Politicians Who Voted To Kill Me

[sheshe2]

I want you to know what it feels like when politicians prioritize their hatred of a president and a policy over your literal means to live.



Late at night, while most of us were sleeping, the Senate voted to kill me. I’m sure that some of you will call me dramatic and say that I’m exaggerating. “They’re not going to repeal the Affordable Care Act without replacing it―and with something better!”

I’ve heard this so many times, yet even as the repeal has been voted on in the Senate and has been introduced in the House, I still haven’t seen a replacement bill introduced. Hell, I haven’t even heard a vague idea from one of the lawmakers so convinced that the ACA is terrible that they’re willing to strip 30 million Americans of their insurance. All I’ve seen is a rejection of any measure put forth to save “essential” aspects of the bill, each denial like a noose tightening around my neck. Keeping young people on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26. Rejected. Coverage for pre-existing conditions. Rejected.

But as I have been told so many times by those of you who support taking away my insurance, my ability to live: “health care isn’t a right.” This is often said with a smug incredulity at the idea that I feel “entitled” to lifesaving treatments, as if I’m asking for a Lexus instead of an ability to be hospitalized without complete financial ruin.

snip//

So to the politicians who voted to repeal the ACA, I say this: I hope that you have to feel the pain that I have to go through. I could try to be a better person and say that I didn’t wish this on anybody, but at this point, the only way for you to understand the real, heartbreaking pain that millions of Americans like me are feeling is to actually experience it. I want you to know what it’s like to cry yourself to sleep because you don’t know if you’ll be able to access the medications that keep you alive. I want you to know what it’s like to feel guilty about how much your treatment costs, even though you know there’s nothing you can do about it. I want you to know what it feels like when politicians prioritize their hatred of a president and a policy over your literal means to live. I want you to know what it’s like to live in pain and sickness and to have people say that your desire to alleviate that suffering without experiencing complete financial ruin is “entitlement.”

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/to-the-politicians-who-voted-to-kill-me_us_587ae6f6e4b03e071c14fdbc?123123

The cruelty pains me. Entitlement to live? Entitlement. Tears.

[GeoWilliam750]

1. Thank yu for posting this

[First Speaker]

2. If I said what I really want to happen to GOP politicians...

...I'd be banned. And I hate myself for thinking in these terms. But Jesus, I hate these motherfuckers...

[Jacob Boehme]

7. Agreed! And I wouldn't just be banned, because if I said what I wanted to...

.... I'd have spooks at my door with warrants, badges and handcuffs.

[elmac]

3. Fascists don't care

they have murdered hundreds of thousands overseas and have no problem doing the same in this country. They are evil, they are terrorists, they can do this because they think their gated communities and militarized police will keep them safe.

[iluvtennis]

11. No compassion for thier fellow human beings. GOPThugs are a bunch of asswipes nt

[enid602]

18. aleppo

I just hope Aleppo wasnt an excercise for what is planned for us.

[bdamomma]

25. I think Putin

is the main player and trump as his side kick. Putin along with trump is taking this country down, so pootie can go ahead and do whatever he wants to do.

[CaptainTruth]

4. I feel your pain. I'm with you.

Did you tweet this? I just replied to a tweet that was very similar.

I hope we all survive this ...

[sheshe2]

9. No.

Last edited Tue Jan 17, 2017, 06:04 PM - Edit history (1)

I do not tweet.

Please keep it going.

[tclambert]

5. "How many deaths will it take 'til he knows . . ."

"That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind."

[Gothmog]

6. K&R

[sheshe2]

8. Do not do this!

You give yourselves high fives as you condemn us to death. Who are you people?

[jaxind]

10. Just Curious...

Just curious....if republicans are complaining now that they may lose their Obamacare, why were they all clapping at the rallies when tRUMP said he's take it away?! I just don't get them!

[sheshe2]

14. They are stupid and ill informed.

Obamacare sucks!!!!! ACA awesome!!!! The stupidity is amazing.

[mcar]

12. K&R

They do not care, she. But most of them will insist they are good Christians.

[sheshe2]

15. My comment on those good Christians would get me a hide.

Luv ya.

[Lonestarblue]

13. Access to Decent Health Care Is a Right

We need to put forth the idea that health care is just as important to the "pursuit of happiness" as any other right under the Constitution. There is no legitimate reason why we cannot afford decent health care for every American. The rich need to pay their fair share. While they claim to be religious, their true colors show as they try to avoid paying any taxes while they live off the work and impoverishment of average Americans.

[lambchopp59]

16. In seven years they haven't released an inkling of a plan, just smugly

answering questions about what parts of the ACA they'll keep... well... when we get a round tuit... when pigs fly... when democrats insist it be reinstated... (oops they don't admit that one do they?), but still just harping the "It's a failure!!!" broken record.
I don't believe they have any plan at all. They're just being the same anti-Obama idiots they've milked the hate from their most idiotic constituency and Sean Hannitary Napkin.
How many times does it take to drive it through republican voter's heads that Republican trickle down stuff doesn't work, never worked, and won't work this time either. How many times do we end a Republican coup of power and end up in a recession?
But since their zombies won't tune into anything that doesn't confirm their uneducated, constipated biases... and their media COMMANDS them not to listen to anyone else, ignore all the higher institutes of learning worldwide, and schmoozes them into the "everything's alright" daze while fat cats steal their every dime, take their homes, their jobs, their integrity.
It's a cult.
And they have to be deprogrammed.

[cstanleytech]

17. There are sadly alot of sociopaths in the Republican party who only care about

a so called life while its in the womb but as soon as its out they are like "GTFO and die already".

[DeadLetterOffice]

19. Chronically, non-terminally ill is a terrifying thing to be right now.

Not that it was ever any fun.
But knowing that I couldn't be denied coverage because I was already sick? That was kind of awesome.
Being able to keep my 19 year old (who has my same genetic disorder) on our insurance was ALL KINDS of awesome.

Gutting the ACA is a great way to kill off those who are poor, chronically ill, and/or disabled, but I don't see any actual benefit for those of us interested in keeping those populations alive...

[stopwastingmymoney]

20. My very dear friend has just finished a year long treatment for colon cancer

The treatment included two surgeries and six months of chemo, I can't begin to guess how much the bills came to.

He's self-employed and buys his own insurance with no subsidy.

And guess what? Thanks to the ACA he still has his home and his retirement account.

I guess that's more than we're entitled to expect.

I'm scared to think what will happen if it comes back...

[SteelSmasher]

21. World

It's like the world is upside down. One of my friends daughter is in your position. If the ACA is repealed she won't get her medicine and she will die.

[lastlib]

22. I am sending this to my Congress-lizard!

I doubt she can read, but these knuckle-draggers need to understand that people WILL DIE if they vote to repeal the PPACA. Going back to GOPeeDon'tCare is Simply. Not. An. Option.

[dlk]

24. In Truth, They Have No Respect for Human Life -- Unless You're Rich

Republicans care about winning and getting their way more than they care about saving American lives. At their core, they are brutal and vile elitists. Only wealthy lives matter to them. Their determination to repeal the ACA, with no replacement also demonstrates their base hypocrisy with women's reproductive rights. If you're not fortunate enough to be rich, tough luck if you get sick and die. They are waging a much larger war than the war on women.

[bdamomma]

26. good post and welcome to DU

it has always been about repigs that they are "entitled" because of their wealth, and they hate the social programmes such as Social Security, Food Stamps, A Womens right to choose, they want a class war they will get it.

[IronLionZion]

27. The sick and disabled were the first holocaust victims

When some other angry bitter asshole was trying to make his country great again and didn't have time for weakness

[GoCubsGo]

28. The same goes for the Hitler Youth at UC-Davis,

who thought it was a great idea to invite the Pharma Douche to come and speak at their school. You little assholes think you invited that selfish prick as a poke in the eye your liberal classmates. But, what you really did was offer tacit approval of his actions. You just said that it's okay to jack up the price of a medication that is vital to hundreds of thousands of chronically-ill people by 5000%. I look forward to seeing you experience the rude awakenings you are all in for.

[spanone]

29. K&R...

[haele]

30. Read one of the comments - "why doesn't she do a GoFundMe or apply to a foundation or charity?"

This isn't an auto accident or a need to pay for an appendectomy. She's 24 and has a chronic illness since the age of 15 that will be with her for the rest of her life. $200K a year for potentially what - 50 to 70 years?
A "GoFundMe, or a charity or foundation" is not going support her for the rest of her life.
And foundations and charities will do what they've done over the centuries for the chronically ill - take them away from families, out of the public sphere - and place them in an institutional hospice/home to do piddly make-work for their board - if they can work - while they're waiting to die.

Instead of investing in helping her to manage her health so she can live as much of a life as possible, the "pragmatic and fiscally sound business solution" is to just throw her in a corner as a damaged tool until they can put her out with the trash.

Haele

[RicROC]

31. Declaration of War?

It seems that the Republicans have found another war to begin...this time it's a declaration of war on their fellow Americans.

[sheshe2]

32. Welcome to DU, RicROC

I agree with you completely.

[hibbing]

33. They hate him so much

They are willing to allow people to die.

Peace

[MontanaMama]

34. I heard a rethug congressperson on Thom Hartmann this morning,

I can't recall his name, but he clearly stated, verbatim, that healthcare is not a right it is a privilege. He said that you are only entitled to good healthcare if you can pay for it. I sat in my car at a stop sign and said out loud to myself "oh my lord, he actually SAID that." I know most rethugs feel that way, but it was shocking to actually hear it said on national radio.

Since the elecction, these people can now stand proudly and say that your life is worth less because you don't have money. It's disgusting. The fact that most of them claim to be christian is an outrage. We can expect more of this in the coming days.

[dalton99a]

35. How many Americans did ISIS kill? 100 maybe. How many Americans will the GOP kill

with the ACA repeal? MILLIONS.

Republicans are the real death panels.

By repealing Obamacare, they're not just killing a piece of legislation, they're murdering Americans - by the millions.

[demtenjeep]

36. yup

could also be my story

[MontanaMama]

37. One more thing...

My father was a career federal employee and my mother was a stay at home mom. My parents had great insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield that covered both of them VERY well until their deaths. My mother had cancer and her bills over the last year of her life came to well over $350,000. I managed their checkbooks and I didn't pay one dime of her medical bills because her insurance was so good. My father had Alzheimer's and all of the care he needed was covered by his plan as well.

I recall that their monthly premium was $350 for this incredible insurance.

THIS IS THE SAME COVERAGE THAT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ENJOY! THEY DON'T EVEN WORK A 40 HOUR WEEK.

[radalpha]

38. The GOP has finally become the Death Panel that they have lied about for years.

From the moment the ACA was contemplated, the GOP has tried to scare the public to death by lying about Death Panels. Never true, never honest, just fearmongering. Their lies have finally become the self-fulfilling prophecy. The GOP has finally turned themselves into a Death Panel.

[sheshe2]

39. Great post.

Welcome to DU, radalpha.

[Amimnoch]

40. Perhaps we need to reframe it in the childish way they understand?

They support firefighters.. which protect property reactively.

They support police officers.. which protect life and property reactively.

Maybe if we convince them to support Doctors and paramedics who support life proactively. You know, put a couple of rugged looking alpha male, MMA or WWF as the poster child to sell it to their more "base" sensibilities. We should probably even have a few celebrities on our side pretend to attack Dr.'s paramedics and nurses, and the right would rush to their defense just out of spite and conditioned reaction.

[sheshe2]

41. Yes, perhaps the childish approach would work.

It could be the new Dick Jane and Sally series, Amimnoch.