July 1, 2011

Dear Members and Friends,

My visit to Germany taught me how carefully news from the United States is analyzed and discussed in their media. Our health plan is seen as a failure because so many millions of poor people are left out. In March I spent 4 ½ hours in the emergency room at the University of Chicago Hospital. Since I was not in labor or suffering a gunshot wound, I had to wait. The room was crowded with people in many kinds of distress, including mothers with young children for whom there was no provision for play or activities. While the mothers were trying to keep the children quiet there was chaos, confusion and noise in the highest decibels. These are the uninsured who have no place to go but the emergency room. I was there because of a serious fall in early March. My cardiologist told me to go to the emergency room because he did not remember that my legs are connected to my heart. Fortunately, through the original goodness of an acquaintance I found a general practitioner who was a Democrat.

As the battles for the next election heat up let us look at the candidates’ records on concern for the poor who are now poorer than ever as job losses continue.

Let us remember that society is judged by how it treats the poorest of the poor. Some of my friends who interpret the Bible literally think that Jesus taught us that we must always have poor people. Jesus knew that greed and selfishness are always with us and create gross inequalities. I will have more to say about the hypocrisy and meanness of the religious right in the August newsletter. You may already have heard how I was received at the Fellowship Bible Church in Sawyer.

On July 4^th let us celebrate the best that is in us and struggle to engage others in building a nation that builds community as the first duty of citizenship.

What an exciting time to be alive even at 92!

Love,