[Sosfbay-discuss] One Person's View from the Front (JULY 5TH)

[Andrea Dorey]

 From the demonstration in the streets — July 5th for Health Care:

We had a great turnout beginning at 12 noon and got an amazing  
response (waving, honking) from the public which was decidedly *for*  
SINGLE PAYER.

Fred D and his beautiful sidekick and Caroline Y, and others from the  
Greens were there.  Also present were the wonderful Raging Grannies  
singing up a storm.  The local savvy leader of Healthcare-NOW! Lynn H  
was there with her very effective group holding signs.

The media showed up, and the police—some mounted—arrived to get  
people out of the street and driveways: most of the offenders were  
the Tea Party mob.  What a disgrace to the memory of the Boston Tea  
Party that bunch is!  They used tactics such as surrounding our side  
and talking loudly to one another and trying to engage as many of us  
as possible in "answering questions" or arguing with their opposing  
statements.  One used abuse and belittling to create anger; I just  
walked away saying that he was not worth bothering with.  In some  
cases I changed my place and remarked to others that these guys are  
not our audience—it's the sidewalk people and the drivers!

In any case, in response to the loud talking, I started to get louder  
in my remarks to the drivers as they went by and make points like:
Medicine is NOT a business
Don't let the 400 billion a year go to the CEOs
Get the pigs out of the trough
Let's have the real health care they have around the globe
We can save 400 billion a year with SINGLE PAYER health care

At one point I suspected that I was being crowded and my sign covered  
by anti-signs and, once, actually felt someone behind  me pushing me  
toward the curb!  These guys are dangerous with their physical and  
verbal tactics, so we need to beware and watch each other.

Andrea
Always a Nader radical, but Green in every way