Sunday in DC: Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat
Photo and story by Sue Ruff, Binghamton ADAPT
"I say to the House as I said to ministers who have joined this government, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many months of struggle and suffering." These were the words that were uttered by Winston Churchill as he became Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1940. His people faced terrible times.
It has been an awful, awful week in the Southern Tier of New York. 20,000 people were evacuated from their homes by raging flood waters. It is estimated that more than a thousand homes were swamped in Owego. Areas of Johnson City , Endicott, Apalachin, Vestal, Conklin, and Binghamton that had been spared in 2006 were devastated last week. People who rebuilt after the flood of 2006 have again lost homes and businesses. The streets of our community are littered with the possessions hauled from these homes and businesses. Everything is covered with an ugly, toxic, grey mud.
The trip to Washington this week to demonstrate with other people with disabilities from across the country is the culmination of a year's work on fund raising and planning. Southern Tier ADAPT members looked forward to it with great anticipation. Not only would a small group be going for several days, we had organized forty people from central NY to get on the rally bus at an unspeakably early hour this coming Wednesday. And then the flood came and changed all our lives.
Our gold colored T-shirts proclaim, "My Medicaid Matters" and picture the "Free Our People" logo of ADAPT over a flag of our country in the shape of the USA. For those unfamiliar with the logo, it pictures a stick figure in a wheelchair breaking chains over his head. Churchill's famous words inspired his nation as the people faced the horrors of a growing war that seemed poised to take over the world. While we usually head to DC with light hearts, this week we carry pain on our backs. All of us have been working with flood victims and some of us have lost so much. Believe it or not there is a FEMA Office in our hotel here in DC. As we leave behind the remnants of a terrible natural disaster, we can foresee another terrible natural disaster coming our way. I don't think we will be able to turn to FEMA for this natural disaster when it comes. In some states it has already arrived.
We know that Medicaid is threatened. Medicaid has meant freedom and the right to live in our own homes. Some states have abused it and used it to fund costly institutionalization. Some CEOs have made themselves very wealthy. But the people who will become the victims of cuts or caps are our brothers and sisters, parents and children, neighbors and friends, and ourselves.
The ADAPT bus from Rochester came to pick us up Saturday morning. We met them in the parking lot of Wegman's. A week ago that lot was under water. Death and illness are so close. Susie, the heart of our group was not able to come. Darlene, the voice of our group was not able to come. Jon (our eyes), Bob (our logical brain), Tina (our strength), and I (the somewhat obsessive-compulsive organizer) got on the bus. Our friends from Rochester ADAPT welcomed us and extended their deepest sympathy.
Churchill ended his famous speech , "But I take up my task with buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. At this time I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, and I say, 'Come then, let us go forward together with our united strength.'"
We'll let you know what happens today and in the coming days this week. Jon and Tina are headed for the New People Training. Bob has been given the responsibility of being a Color Leader (as Dar and Susie would have been if they had been able to come). Bob has two meetings this morning and he has pinned a yellow flag on his shirt. I have an early morning media meeting. First line up will be at 12:30. The blood, toil, sweat and tears are all around us. But we go forward together. Free Our People!