In the last Presidential election 126 million votes were cast… FIVE MILLION separated the winner from the loser… 106 MILLION of eligible voters – DID NOT VOTE ! Strangely, that is the same number of estimated CHRONIC PAIN PTS.
Today on the TV.. I heard Bernie Sanders state “POOR PEOPLE DON’T VOTE “.. a recent survey stated that those people with chronic pain that the disease itself and/or the cost of treating the disease had a serious financial impact on 92% of the families… Suggesting that 92% of the chronic pain pts and their families are POOR… and DON’T VOTE ?
A form of VOTER SUPPRESSION ?
In case you haven’t been paying attention, the NATIONAL CONVERSATION is about substance abuse – NOT ALCOHOL OR TOBACCO – but opiate products. Even though Alcohol and Tobacco use/abuse will kill about TWENTY TIMES the illegal use of opiates EVERY YEAR.
I am closing in our four years of writing this little blog. I have tried to get CPP to advocate for themselves.. the most I see is dozens or hundreds of new FACE BOOK pages dedicated to chronic pain in one form or another and a lot of whining, bitching and moaning between those on the pages. I see some “closed pages” that has HUNDREDS of members and maybe a couple of dozens who ever bother to make a post or a remark. ADVOCACY takes more than reading FACE BOOK POSTS ! It takes more than whining, bitching, moaning to each other.
Congress has a collective approval rating in the single digits, but 90%+ will get re-elected EVERY YEAR… If you were them, would you change what/how you are doing things ? Their approval rating must be the collection of their family, friends and employees votes of approval, even car salesmen get a HIGHER APPROVAL RATING than Congress !
If case you haven’t noticed, apparently politicians believe that raising money and running political ads… will get them elected to office…. so does $$$ buy votes ? Last presidential election, 106 million apparently didn’t get paid enough to even bother to vote ?
How has your pain management or access to pain care changed over the last 4-8 yrs ? With the national discussion focused on opiate abuse.. do you think the direction is going to change in a positive direction for you moving forward ?
By the end of July all official candidates will be in place and by the time that Labor Day gets here “election season” will be in “fast forward”. IMO, unless the appropriate treatment of ALL CHRONIC DISEASES becomes part of the national discussion. We are going to see an increase in suicides and unnecessary premature deaths.. one of them could be YOU !
How do we get the proper treatment of all chronic diseases to be part of the national discussion ? Each candidate will have a website, a FACE BOOK PAGE and TWITTER account. National and local media have the same.. Make comments on their wrong-headed articles about treating all chronic disease issues. Copy statements from pts on various Face Book pages – without names – that points out how badly chronically ill pts are being treated… If you see/know of suicides because of lack of healthcare….share… across the political and media spectrum.
These politicians track just about data point that is floating around… there is at least 106 million people of voting age… what would be the politicians’ response if there was a HUGE increase in registered voters… particularly if they registered as INDEPENDENT. UNCLEAR of who they would vote for.. it could make their HEADS SPIN… Remember last presidential election only FIVE MILLION separated the winner from the loser.. at the same time.. there is a huge influx of comments about lack of the treatment of chronic diseases.
If you are not registered to vote … DO SO THIS WEEK ! You should be able to do it by mail.. and when Nov comes… you can vote by mail… If you are too busy or too poor to make a phone call, fill out a voter’s registration form and mail it in. There is NO ONE who can do it for you and you are the only one that can benefit from doing it. I can assure you that if there is a sudden surge of 5 -10 -20 million new independent registered voters.. it will SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF THE POLITICIANS. They like nothing less than such unpredictable things… especially if they can see no real reason behind them.
Finally, I would hope that this post will go VIRAL. Registering to vote is an anonymous act… voting is an anonymous act.. while making tweets and Face Book posts are not quite anonymous, hopefully the volume of posts and tweets will be so large that the volume will have a larger impact than what is being said.. and when November comes and the national conversation has not changed.. then it may be time to VOTE THE BUMS OUT.. since it will be very clear that they are not listening to their constituents and it may be time to share your pain with them and put them in the unemployment line come Jan 2017.
Likewise, if I see little/no action by the chronic pain community. I am going to have to question my personal advocacy for the chronic pain community that would seem to be in an irreversible catatonic state.
Filed under: General Problems
GREAT THOUGHTS. I PERSONALLY BELIEVE TRUMP IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN FIX THE MESS THIS COUNTRY HAS BECOME.
I was told by a Congressman’s aide that I needed to get a LOT of people on board. Everyone is pissing and moaning, but when it comes to taking action everyone is MIA.
When is everyone going to stage a protest??????? We have to speak their language – we need to make clever signs, and dress in clever costumes to grab attention. Fight smart.
Steve, Thank you so much for this comment as it is spot on!!! I, myself have a facebook advocacy & education page called criminally inpain that I started in order to spread awareness & to bring CPP’s, their families, docs, pharms.etc..together. However, after seeing that there was less than 5000 comments left on the CDC guidelines; I just could not believe it & wrote about it on my page. Many of the cpp’s that read my page wanted to join in & help, but the numbers we needed was not there.
Over the last 5-6yrs. I have written lots of letters to Fl. gov’t, feds. reps. every news paper & news station, medical boards, pharm boards, cdc, fda, dea, & anyone else I could think of; but like you stated, 1 voice is not enough!!
I have recently started writing to social media, especially The young turks as they are the #1 online news source w/ millions of viewers. I have followed them for years, because they try to be nonbiased & HONEST, unlike corp. mainstream media!
However, over the last year or so they have done opioid “epidemic” stories w/o doing their research like they usually do, & are just parroting Dr. kolodny & PROP B.S. agenda driven propaganda!!!!
Yes, CPP’s voting is ABSOLUTELY VITAL in this fight; but just as vital is getting the HONEST TRUTH out to the masses & social media can REALLY be a HUGE help, especially if we can get those like the TYT that have the most power, to listen & run OUR side of these issues!!!
I also believe that addicts & CPP’s are being pitted against each other on purpose & that MUST stop!!! Addiction is also a chronic illness that is badly & unfairly stigmatized just as we are & until BOTH sides come together, NEITHER will get the care & compassion WE deserve!!
Cpp’s & addicts need to realize that the “powers that be” are using us both to further greedy agendas & do NOT care about helping either side! It is heartbreaking to see people that have lost family to addiction praise the efforts of dr kolodny & prop as life saving when in reality that is NOT what they care about at all, because if they REALLY cared they would not have such a high fail rate w/ many of their rehabs being closed for violations, nor would they so strongly push suboxone as the best & safest option for addiction treatment!!
If they truly cared, they would stop their war on pain patients & instead fight for better mental health care, & for funding better treatment & research on chronic illnesses like pain & addiction!!!
I would LOVE to start an awareness campaign/ action group called Suffering Of Silence or SOS. What do you think? PLEASE let me know if there is ANYTHING I could help with THANKS SO MUCH STEVE for everything you have done & hope you will continue to do; as you have been an inspiration to me & I’m sure many others!!
Did you guys watch 60 Minutes last night. There was a segment that exposed how our elected congressman and senators are required to spend 30 hours a week on the phone raising money. Shouldn’t they be working for us, sitting down with constituents, attending govt. meetings? No, they are looking for donations to fund election campaigns. Keep riding the gravy train. Democracy….nonsense.
Oh, by the way. The Washington Office on Latin America is on board. These guys have been around since 1973.
http://www.wola.org/program/drug_policy
http://www.wola.org/commentary/advocating_for_drug_policy_reform_at_the_united_nations_0
“Advocating for Drug Policy Reform at the United Nations
What is WOLA working to accomplish at the 2016 UNGASS?
WOLA has been working together with our partners to ensure the discussions serve to advance human rights and public health, and reflect the growing global debate on the failures of current policies and the need to explore alternative approaches that are more effective and more humane.
The International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), a worlwide coalition of reform-minded drug policy organizations of which WOLA is a member, has outlined five key policy “asks” for the UNGASS. These reflect the broad and deep-seated problems with the prohibitionist model, and encourage member states to recognize the failures of past policies and adopt new evidence-based approaches that prioritize human rights and public health.
1. Ensure an open and inclusive debate
2. Re-set the objectives of drug policies
3. Support policy experimentation and innovation
4. End the criminalization of the most affected populations
5. Commit to the harm reduction approach”
I hear your discouragement. Try talking to nuns & grass roots activists who’ve been trying to change foreign policy in Central America ever since Vatican II, and perhaps you won’t feel so alone. Though suffering people can indeed sometimes try our patience, it is also true that this will be an uphill battle for the foreseeable future. So we might as well settle in. Don’t expect results overnight (or even in 4 years, much less 40 years). I hate to be a “Debbie downer,” but if we’re not realistic, we will burn out fast.
If you don’t believe me, observe what we saw last week at the United Nations. Even after the prodding of Guatemala, Mexico, and Columbia to move UNGASS up by 3 years. Even after the reports issued by the Global Commission on Drug Policy which go so far as to call for experimenting with legal regulation of drugs (with over a dozen former heads of state, George Schultz, and Paul Volcker on the board). Even after Jimmy Carter endorsed the Global Commission in a NY Times op-ed. Even after 2 years of Civil Society mobilization and involvement in preparation for UNGASS. What happened? First order of business was to take a vote on an outcome document prepared largely in closed meetings in Vienna ahead of time that will not even recommend ending the death penalty for drug trafficking. The results were preordained. As our high school coach told us, “No pain, no gain,” right (pun not intended)?
Take a few days off. Go do something you enjoy. This battle ain’t going nowhere fast, and can bear a week of R&R.
CLAPPIING ~~~~~~CLAPPING~~~~~~CLAPPING~~~~~Pharm Steve you are so right.SPOT ON ! Then the only thing to do is: put personal feelings toward others aside, join together as one. oh , and i can share the shit outta other peoples bitches. the ones that re-post the exact same post in 10 GROUPS !! Yesterday I decided that I am going to the U.S.Pain’s retreat and pain summit in Biddeford Maine Aug 7-10 2016. We are going to be very busy learning the tools to advocate better as 1 voice. If I don’t go i’d regret it- only thing I need $ for is for personal things. ALL expenses paid. i’m sharing this blog post – u always seem to make sense Steve. thanks