handicapped made it impossible to make it to the caucus site on time because although I arrived early, there was not enough parking for the huge turnout, so I ended up having to park some distance away and then walk (very slowly and very, very painfully) to the caucus site, arriving there just about 4 minutes too late to join the line, because it had taken me over 45 minutes to walk the 4 blocks from where I had to part to where the caucus was being held:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511419890
Caucuses Really Do Disenfranchise the Handicapped--Like ME.
I missed the caucus deadline by 4 minutes because I couldn't find nearby parking, had to park 4 blocks away, and then couldn't walk fast enough to get there on time. It took me nearly 45 minutes to get from my parking spot to the caucus site, because I couldn't walk fast, despite pushing hard past the excruciating pain caused by bulging discs in my lower back, and by arthritis in my hips, and a muscle spasm in my thigh.
Our caucus is being held at a middle school in a residential district, with very little parking nearby. I walk with a cane, and often walking, standing, and sitting are very, very painful--and sometimes even impossible (bulging, deteriorating discs, severe arthritis in hips and knees, sciatica).
I spent extra time last night grading papers to free up a few hours today to caucus. Having caucused in 2008 in another revolutionary election, I knew it could tie me up for hours, so I wanted to get a bit caught up on my grading.
I reached the site by car with an hour to spare. I meant to get down there earlier, but my left hip and lower back locked up painfully today, perhaps because of hours of grading last night, especially since this is a busy time of the semester, so I have been putting in a lot of time on student papers. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to tolerate the caucus process if I didn't do something about the pain and immobility, so I took some medicine and tried a bunch of different methods--hot bath, sports cream, stretching, heating pad--to try to loosen things up a bit. Unfortunately, the stretching caused my right thigh to cramp up, so I ended up worse off rather than better.
But I really wanted to participate, so I decided to go anyway.
I was finally able to get out to the car and drive a few minutes before 2:00, but I live just a couple of minutes from the site (by car), so I got there by 2:00 (caucus registration was to close at 3:00). The line was extremely long, and there was no place to park anywhere near the site, so I drove around for a few minutes hoping to find something within a couple of blocks. No luck.
I finally drove down to the courthouse, which is on 11th Street. (The caucus site is on 15th.) Four blocks doesn't sound too bad to most people, but when you can barely walk at all, so it is both painful and very slow going, 4 blocks might as well be 4 miles. It took me over 45 minutes to make it to the site, but the guys with the "caucus closed" signs were already there at the end of the line (which still reached pretty far outside the building), because it was 4 minutes past the 3:00 registration closing time.
The school is in a residential district, a few blocks from our main downtown street. The insufficiency of parking, especially handicapped parking, was entirely predictable, because a huge turnout was expected (after all, Lawrence is a college town).
In 2008 we held our caucus at the Douglas County Fairgrounds (where there was a huge, comfortably accommodated Bernie rally just 2 days ago). I had no trouble finding parking in 2008, because the fairgrounds are designed for large crowds. The middle school and its parking arrangements are not.
Caucuses are from a time when communities were much smaller. They are simply not suited to elections where thousands of people show up to participate, and of course they render it impossible for everyone who wants to participate to have a chance to be heard.
I know Bernie will probably take all the delegates from our caucus, so my absence won't make any difference--except to me. I suffered more pain than you can imagine trying to get to the caucus site, only to be closed out anyway. I am 65 years old, and I have always participated (in primaries when we had them, and in caucuses)--until today. I feel frustrated, angry, and disenfranchised.
Fortunately, A nice woman heard me talking to the young man holding the "caucus closed" sign, so she and her husband gave me a ride back to my car. If they had not, I am not at all sure I would have made it in less than another 60-90 minutes, because every tiny step was sheer agony.
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