Rape is a four-letter word.

[Cleita]

So is the so-called “F” word, an Anglo-Saxon word which is considered a “swear word” by the language police that has the same meaning that fornicate has, which is more acceptable. In lengua franca the “F” word really means rape. It means being “screwed over” in common vernacular. So when someone says that they were fucked, they are saying that they were screwed over and in reality raped.

Rape doesn’t have to be physical. It’s really a loss of control over your situation whether it is physical or otherwise. So Saturday I went to a meeting that explained to me that I was raped but I should try to figure out a way that it could work out for me. Well, the situation is bad but damn, if we don’t figure out how to make it work for us, we just have to go scrape at the bottom again and figure out how to get the attention of those who should care.

I’m there at a meeting about the Medicare prescription drug benefit with other Democratic senior citizens. When it was all explained to us, what we really understood was that we had to figure out how to make this windfall for the pharmaceutical industry work for us because basically we were getting screwed. We were told we would have to come up with grass roots efforts to change this.

My god, is everyone so clueless, other than the Republicans who enacted this, that old people don’t have the get up and go to organize and be involved at a grass roots level anymore? I was so tired just coming back from this and trying to digest it that it has taken me two days to post this.

Mostly what I was able to apply to my situation was that this is the most useless bill on the face of the earth for those people who need it the most. The means testing alone would make my husband and I homeless and car less. Other than that it would cost us money to buy insurance for drugs before we would get any benefit and maybe it would be cheaper to buy the drugs? Since there are various drugs neither of us take that we need because we can’t afford them, how is this supposed to help us or anyone whose situation is worse than ours?

I am really disgusted and I really don’t care anymore. I spend forty-four hours a week helping keep my husband alive and give him the care he needs. How am I supposed to also go out and help do a grass roots campaign to change this. How are any sick old people who need medicine and care supposed to do this?

[Ksec]

1. Bush says theyre lazy.

Yep. Thats his answer. Election 2004 cant get here soon enough

[silver state d]

2. Take care of your husband

I'll campaige for the both of you. I have a small army of lazy twnty somthings that i'll whip into shape and we'll kick'Em out for you.

[Cleita]

4. Thanks because this is what we need and if's for them too.

It's for their grandparents, their parents and them eventually as well.

[catzies]

10. Belated welcome to DU, silver state d!

:hi:

And thank you for your "small army of lazy twnty somthings that i'll whip into shape!" Happy to have you all on our side!

[rfkrocks]

3. powerfull post-but have faith

you can do stuff at home-write letters or just be a part of DU. I hope you take care of yourself as well as your husband. By being part of DU I now know you story-that truth telling will get the sob out of the white house-its important that people know your difficulties-knowledge is power and concern about our fellow citizens is also important-you can't fight the big companies but we can together prevail! Change is upon this country and there is no putting it back into the bottle-peace

[democratreformed]

5. I don't know what to say.

I knew it was bad, but still don't know just how bad. My grandma says it's primary aim is to push HMOs. She probably doesn't know the whole story about how it will affect her yet either.

Oh, it makes me FURIOUS. That they can pretend this great thing for our elderly people when they did NOTHING. My grandma has been hit hard by rising insurance costs on all fronts - vehicle, health, you name it.

It is so frustrating. I know that I'm not in your situation or hers - but I do feel your pain.

[Cleita]

6. They are pushing people into HMOs but most HMOs, or I should

say all of them don't accept patients with end stage renal disease like my husband has. Also most health care givers in rural areas don't accept HMOs. I brought this up at the meeting and I didn't get a straight answer from the AARP representative there. Besides your grandmother you should be really worrying about this for your parents and yourself in the future.

[Ksec]

7. This is just vulgar what is happening

I cant believe the most rich country in the world cant help its own people ..

Have you tried getting help from Human services?

[Cleita]

8. I don't need human services and many of us don't.

We need just a little help to keep us afloat. The obscenity is that things that have worked in the past for those of us who still can maintain savings accounts are going to be taken away in the not so distant future.

[Cleita]

9. For those who care what Bush is doing to their Medicare.

:kick: