If you are poor in this nation, please die quickly. We just got word

[Skidmore]

that my husbands ex is dying now. She was diagnosed with cancer last year. I won't recount their history but it was complicated and was ancient by the time we met. It is definitely water under the bridge, except for the fact that they have 3 children (now grown) together. I never met this woman and have never had any personal beef with her.

Slightly too young to retire, she has continued to work for hourly wages. She cannot afford insurance nor is there a plan where she worked. She was turned away for care at the local hospital until her health deteriorated to the point that they only did surgery as palliative care to ease her pain and to keep her insides from literally falling out. I do know that no person deserves to suffer this way. She just in the past few weeks was granted disability status.

This reminded me of my mother's situation at the end of her life. She worked until the day she was diagnosed in early February about 15 years ago. We applied for SS for her and she was put on a fast tract for people with terminal illnesses and the first check arrived in the mail the day after she died at the end of May that year. She had been misdiagnosed for years and did not receive the care she needed.

How many people are like this? You work until you are at death's door. My husband this morning commented to me that you never see a legislator retire. Not really. They have to be drummed out of office or they die practically in the chair they were elected to. Do they go without care or income. They let you die because you are among the poor or working poor. You are collateral damage for the wealthy and the powerful

Alan Grayson is absolutely right. We need the poor, the working class, and the middle class to get off of their asses and make certain that what little means we are able to squirrel away is not taken from us. Let us refuse to lay down and die for these bastards.