[Oe List ...] Health care and "ideas" of what I/we can do

Fri Sep 4 21:46:01 CDT 2009

Hi Jon -- (and colleagues),

Thanks for your consistently kind and sensitive input to this list serve.
 And once again, you have broadened the picture of possibility -- most
recently for Ruah. (I hope we all appreciate the power of that lovely
name!)

When Joe and I were first assigned to work in developing nations in East
and Southeast Asia, our Order wisdom was that we work diligently to
discern the difference between works of individual charity and works of
sociological justice, and lean in the direction of investing our
resources in building the structures of social justice that would allow
many more than one or a few to benefit.  On our first teaching trek to
Asia in 1969, we were bombarded by the beautiful yet frail beggar
children who imploringly raised their hands and eyes as we emerged from
almost every airport, train or bus.  It was agonizing to turn away from
this kind of individual need that we knew was multiplied exponentially
all over the region.

You asked for stories.  When we lived in Maliwada and our twins (age 5) 
began first grade, they travelled by public bus from the village to the
elementary school in Aurungabad, about 30 minutes away.  Jonathan came
home despondent one day, not even bothering to check in with his favorite
ladies in the Community Kitchen to snitch a lovely pourri.  

When I asked him what was bothering him, he said, "Mom, I saw a man on
the bus today whose legs were so skinny.  And he couldn't even get into
the bus by himself.  He needed to be lifted.  I wanted to give him a
rupee or something."

Joe had a long and important conversation with Jon that evening, hoping
to affirm Jon's deep sensitivity to the human suffering he had seen and
his five-year-old response to help, but also to talk about how the larger
systems of village health care, nutrition, education, employment that Jon
had seen being built in Maliwada might help even more people than a rupee
might for the man with the skinny legs.

I cannot speak for Jon and his wife, Jenna, who just returned from over
two years in village health development with Partners In Health in
Malawi, East Africa.  

But I can for Joe and me.  We find we must daily resist the one-on-one
appeals, and opt for investing our personal family contributions in
supporting the systems and programs that shape a "social safety net" for
folks like the man with the skinny legs, the young mother named Ruah who
has lost her job, etc...  Among these systems/structures of care I would
include the current government "safety-nets" such as Medicare and
Medicaid -- supports that many of us who have skinny legs and even more
challenges can now count on.

Peace and love to you and your wonderful parents.

Marilyn

Marilyn R. Crocker, Ed.D
Crocker & Associates, Inc.
123 Sanborn Road
West Newfield, ME 04095
(207) 793-3711

On Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:20:01 GMT "jonzondo at juno.com" <jonzondo at juno.com>
writes:
David, and everyone,
Thank you for sharing your story.
I am a part of a dance community that deals with these stories all the
time.
What makes us "deal" with them is love and choice.
We are not perfect in our responses, however, we rarely no nothing.
Here's a perfect chance to do something with this community...
David, are you willing to share how much the surgury costs?  What is the
need?
If you are willing, then the next question is...
How many here on this listserve are willing to help?  

By the way, Please don't respond with a yes or no to this listserve. 
This is a rhetorical question unless the offer is accepted.  My idea may
not be the best idea.

I know that I am willing to give $10.00 without knowing what the true
need is.  
$10 is not much, but if 300 people give $10 then David's daughter has
$3000 to work with.
(I have no idea how many are on this listserve).
Are there other ideas out there?
Can we think outside of the box?  outside of our box?
and yes, I have a story to share too... about my parents and their
interactions with our health care system.
Walk in Beauty,
Jon Mark Elizondo

---------- Original Message ----------
From: David Dunn <dmdunn1 at gmail.com>
To: Order Ecumenical Community <oe at wedgeblade.net>
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] What do we mean by a right? To Jim, Dave,
et.al. re: Conservativism
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 11:00:28 -0600

Colleagues.

I listed what I thought were the implications of what Susan was
asserting, among them:
• caring about people is the purview of civil society and not of the
public sector  

To which Susan replied:

Yes, but not entirely.  Certainly I think the government has a role in
caring for its citizens, but not as the grand public teat that eliminates
all motivation to provide for yourself because everything is taken care
of. 

In the clear light of Friday morning, it seems to me that the much more
helpful contribution I can make is to tell a story.

The job my daughter Ruah was slated to begin at Home Depot in Atlanta
fell through without explanation. The economy has dried up the in-home
child care that has been her fall-back "plan b" in the past. She
continues to diligently seek employment. 

She has a life-threatening condition that requires surgery. $100 a month
in child support makes her ineligible for Medicaid. The hospital to which
she was referred by a social worker was unable to attend to her, let
alone help her. Now, both her emotional wellbeing and her body are at
risk. And her father is writing an email to a listserv when he should be
working.

An energetic 38-year-old single mom is now medically indigent because of
a series of unfortunate events beyond her control: the collapse of the
Detroit economy; the migration to Georgia in search of greater employment
opportunity; a recession and an Atlanta economy that has also "gone
south." 

Because she does not have access to health care, she and her children are
without hope for health. All of this, in a society that professes belief
in "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," but is unable to
formulate a workable consensus plan to provide for the first, and most
basic need: the lives of its citizens.

What's wrong with this picture?

Neither shouting about socialism, government coercion, or destroying our
society (at this summer's town hall meetings), nor the concern about a
public teat that destroys motivation and individual responsibility (in
the present dialog), speak the two most important questions in my life
today:

1. How is my daughter going to get the surgery she needs?

2. How can I add something useful, grounded in concrete, innocent human
suffering, that would make a difference in my daughter's prospects for a
healthy, happy life?

I do not have the answer to either question. I acknowledge that posturing
about liberal this and conservative that does nothing to move us closer
to the answers.

I wonder how many others have stories to tell about family members or
friends who are without health care.

David

---
David Dunn
dmdunn1 at gmail.com

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Marilyn R. Crocker, Ed.D
Crocker & Associates, Inc.
123 Sanborn Road
West Newfield, ME 04095
(207) 793-3711
____________________________________________________________
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