Thread by @robinskyleigh

Today when I was hard-swallowing back tears in a disastrous appointment I spent two months waiting (and saving up) for I was thinking about how fundamentally broken our healthcare system is.

And even though I was accused of drug-seeking behavior, shamed about childhood abuse (“describe that!,” she said often, punctuated by laughter as she couldn’t get her computer to work), and repeatedly scolded for not having insurance like a normal person, I counted myself lucky.

Because I am.

I got to be there. I paid the gatekeeper $350 and was temporarily admitted into an unnavigable kingdom. In the end it turns out it’d be at least another $500 to reach the room I need, so I have to turn back.

But I got to see inside.

Millions never do. They will suffer and struggle outside all because we...what, exactly? Bootstraps? Handouts? Something something “nothing in life is free”?

Fuck that. I don’t fucking get it.

Because you don’t want your taxes to go up? Is that really it?

The average American family pays $2500 in tax dollars every year to corporate handouts. If that’s OK with you but #MedicareForAll seems like a scary, socialist boogeyman, I don’t know how to reach you.

Look. People are suffering. And I don’t mean me — I’m a healthy, young adult and I’ll be ok. But there are MILLIONS of children, elderly people, sick people HURTING in this nation. In ANGUISH.

And the only thing they’ve done wrong is...be poor.

We all occupy this land. Your health is my health is her health is his health is their health. The health and happiness of a society is collective. When you are well, and they are well, WE ARE WELL.

Our society functions better. Our children are happier. They grow up into better, more productive adults. And then their society functions better.

We are not alone unto ourselves, and we cannot separate our fates.

And why would we want to?

I’m losing the thread of what I’m saying because I’m so sad. I want to fight for every person scared and in pain tonight. I want to stand up for every parent who doesn’t know how they’ll get care for their child. Every elderly person afraid of getting care for themselves.

Everyone hurting and alone. I want to fight for them.

We are all connected. And we can be so much better than we are.

We don’t have to hurt like this. We can fight.

Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number-
Shake your chains to earth like
dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you
Ye are many-they are few.

- Percy Bysshe Shelley

#MedicareForAll #NotMeUs