The TV show, "60 Minutes" hasn't been relevant to us in years, especially since the dimmest of bulbs, Katie Couric, joined the team. But last night's show featured a report about the "Remote Area Medical Corps" or RAM. The charity was initially started in the 90’s by it’s founder, Stan Brock (former co-star of Wild Kingdom...now there's a blast from the past!), to give health care relief to remote areas of Latin America. Last night's segment made America’s health care system look not all that much different than that of a third world country.RAM set up for a weekend in Knoxville, Tennessee, and their eye doctors, gynecologists, dentists and other medical personnel offered free medical care for as many people as they could handle in two days. People were camping out in 20-degree weather for the opportunity to see the doctors. It literally looked like a scene from "The Grapes of Wrath" with people staring into the wire fence with broken, sad faces. Old people, children, young people - all needing medical care.
It brought me to near tears, especially when a woman who was nearly blind and missed the cut-off for getting help was reduced to saying she would have to beg...her friends, her church for assistance to get new glasses. Instead of being angry, she half-smiled, shrugged and said "God will provide."
The people in line for free health care were not entirely poverty striken - many simply had ridiculously high deductibles, or were forced to choose to feed their children rather than see doctors themselves. Needless to say, although the team was able to serve nearly 1,000 people, hundreds were turned away. As I watched I wondered how many of these people had voted for the Chimp, against their own economic self-interest. Imagine if the Democrats set up a voter registration table right alongside these people - something tells me they would have had a rapt audience for the universal health care policy.
Perhaps some smart person will ask Grandpa McCain what his plan is for taking care of Americans who aren't serving in the military. Go here to see a short version of the story, or to the CBS site for the entire segment.
I end on a positive note: the woman who needed the glasses was able to slip in at the last minute and get her glasses. Apparently, God does provide.
UPDATE: Donate to RAM here.
