I'm hanging out with the four Unite Women national directors and a regional director, screaming and yelling at the TV and our computers. Right now its several small business speakers, but last night we had the tissues out for Lilly Ledbetter, Julian Castro, and Michelle Obama. (our mom-in-chief). I was floored by Nancy Keenan (president of NARAL, ProChoice America) being given prime time national coverage-- is this what progress looks like? Cecile Richards of Planned Parenthood spoke earlier tonight, which was also incredibly exciting, but for NARAL/Democrats/Obama to be so publicly affiliated seriously just about knocked me over. Maybe we're seeing the end of abortion-shaming and more general woman-shaming.
Like Sandra Fluke just said, its time to choose which America we are going to live in-- Paul Ryan, redefining rape, advocating fetal Personhood; or Barack Obama, advocating affordable or free birth control for all women. Elizabeth Warren is on now, and we're sitting in awe. I'm attempted to tweet from the national account @UniteWomenOrg (cough, you should follow) while paying attention, while smelling brownies baking in the kitchen. I don't know which is most distracting, haha!
I want to know, where were you four years ago? What did you think about your reproductive rights, health care, jobs, education, debt, etc four years ago? I was just beginning my first semester of undergrad, with no concerns for how my meds would get paid for every month, or how my co-pays would be paid-- not to mention what would happen when I turned 22 and was out of school. Life is scarier for me now, the future is scarier, but without Obama I have no doubt in my mind that I'd be on Medicaid and without all of the medicines that I need. I would lose my left ovary through an emergency room trip and several ovarian cysts. It would mean I'd be out of work for several weeks. It would mean I'd lose my job. I'd go back to waiting tables for $2.13/hr and wondering how I'd eat. But instead, I'm still going to wait tables for $2.13/hr, but I'm going to have my medicine, I'm going to have a whole body and a healthy mind-- and that is priceless. I'm ready to go forward, and I'm ready to fight for it. Where were you four years ago? Are you ready to fight for progress?
NARAL
Planned Parenthood
UniteWomen
In 2008, I was still in grad school. I lived on $500 per month. My fellowship term ran out, and with it, my medical insurance coverage. I couldn't afford to buy the medical insurance the school tried to require students to buy. I got extremely sick, and had to go to the ER for an out-of-control ear and throat infection that was one shade shy of giving me septic shock. The hospital knew I couldn't pay. Their social worker worked with me for three months to get me on Medicaid. I was low income, and so I qualified. It worked; the ER got paid retroactively, and for the next two years I had some of the best medical care of my life. I was able to graduate in 2010, but the job market tanked. At the end of my contract now, I may face unemployment. If this happens, and Romney slashes Medicaid, I will go without medical coverage.
ReplyDelete