Taxicab Depressions

Had a woman named “Vera” in my car the other nite that mentioned that she was in town from the Boston area visiting her Mom, and was very pleased that Obama had won reelection. When I asked her why, she said that she believed Obama cares about people, as illustrated by the new healthcare takeover. She seemed like a nice enough lady, but just painfully uninformed. And she seemed truly puzzled that I was not similarly enamored with this law… as we are pulling up to her hotel, she asks me what part of the healthcare law I don’t like.

I tell her, “Well, I dunno… the unconstitutional part that compels and requires me to enter into a legally binding contract to purchase a government-approved product that I may not want or may not need, and one that might violate my First Amendment rights really sucks for me… as well as the economic catastrophe this will be… and the terrible, terrible human toll…”

She looks baffled. She has paid her fare but is not getting out of the car. She says, “Human toll? What on Earth are you talking about?”

I said, “You said you were visiting your Mom… how old is she?”

She says, “She’s 63, last September…”

“In good health?” I ask.

“Great health! She plays tennis 3 days a week.”

I paused for a second and made sure she had solid eye contact with me. “Did you get any damage from Hurricane Sandy?”

She replied, “No, that was all down in New York and New Jersey…. that was terrible…”

I said, “People are still in the cold, with little food or water… And it has been three weeks. You are right… just terrible…”

Vera nodded and agreed emphatically that it was indeed a terrible state of affairs in New Jersey… how can those people not have food and water and heat and electricity?

But then I said, “But let’s go back to ObamaCare… I wish your Mom well, Vera, and I would never, ever wish any harm to befall her… but imagine that next week, after you fly home, that your Mom has a massive heart attack and drops flat on her back on the tennis court, clutching her chest and writhing in agony. She’s dying, Vera… RIGHT. FUCKING. NOW. And only immediate action by top-notch cardiac specialists assisted by well trained and highly motivated hospital support staff will be able to save her life.”

In just the few seconds that pass as I am saying that, Vera’s face becomes contorted… at first she seems shocked by that image and my language, and then she looks like she is seriously angry with me for even conjuring up that mental picture.

And I said, “Congratulations, Vera! Your Mom’s healthcare is now controlled by the very same government that can’t get bottled water and baloney sandwiches to fucking New Jersey in three weeks… and YOU voted for that…”