Soggy Protest over the ACA Vote

It was definitely a soggy day in Somerset today for our planned protest event at Hal Rogers' office. We, members of Indivisible Lake Cumberland and Trumped Out in 2020,  had hoped for more but rain has a way of dampening spirits (pun intended). So 10 or 15 showed up with the tombstones with their message on them and they were pretty good and it was a motivated crowd. I have to admit that I was disappointed because I had a vision of meeting outside where the Friday afternoon traffic could see us and wonder what all those crazy people were doing at Hal's office. Didn't they know he wasn't there? We did know that but we are pretty upset at the way the vote to repeal and replace the ACA went even though we realize the House was just kicking it upstairs to the Senate. Sort of like the old game of kicking the can. Just make it go away with as little damage as possible. The Congressman had the opportunity to vote in favor of his constituency but turned it down in order to be the good soldier for the party. He really has no need to because it is commonly thought he can't be beat in the 5^th District and needs not fear for his reelection and he is almost 80 for crying out loud. Wouldn't he like to go fishing or something.

As I said, it was a motivated crowd and the Congressman's representatives there at the office were, as usual, very sympathetic and cordial. It's hard to act angry when people are so nice but we gave it our best shot. Amanda Morris spoke for many of us and she is quite articulate. We offered to leave our signs there but in a moment of rare candor one of the women working there said she would be happy to throw them in the trash for us so we took them home. One never knows when a good protest sign might come in handy.

I shot a few photos and the Commonwealth-Journal was kind enough to send a reporter over to cover the exciting event and then we dispersed having voiced our complaints with as much anger and disdain as we could muster.

This is why a good protest must always be in a high visibility area and have enough participants for it to look like a crowd. Unfortunately we all managed to fit inside the office and did so to avoid being soaked. We are still novices at this and it has been a very long time indeed that I have been vociferously involved in a protest. I pledge to do better.

 

this one was mine.  one can tell from the artistry.  plus it is the 

only one I had available to photograph