One of the things that surprised me, when giving people my handouts in front of the Catholic hospitals, is the number of threats that I have received. I have not proposed blowing up the hospitals, I have not engaged in civil disobedience, instead I have legally exercised my democratic right to question and to inform people. Yet, I have received comments such as “Give them what they want or die”; a couple of times I was told that I am probably now in the hospitals records as a troublemaker and that I may be given a very difficult time if I go to the hospital; I have heard comments such as “I hope you never, ever have to use their services” (implying that if I do I will receive substandard or worse “care”). I have heard quite a number of variations on these threats. Will my health/life be in danger if I go to one of these hospitals? I don’t know. However, I do not intend to go to a Catholic hospital again for a number of reasons, nor will I ever again step foot in a Catholic church.
What concerns me is that not only should an individual expect to receive the same care as everyone else regardless of their beliefs, politics, religion, nationality or because they stand up for what is right, there should not even be a perception that a person would receive inferior care.
Of course, money will continue to be taken from my pocket to pay the wages of the hospital administrators and staff and otherwise support these hospitals.
I won’t describe the other abuses that have been heaped on me. But it is telling that these people support the medical/catholic system as is. I have obviously hit on a very, very sensitive nerve. I can only wonder why this topic is considered so sacrosanct that these people would do the things they do and say the things they say.
The other side of the coin are the people who have offered their support because they are concerned, even fearful, about who is receiving their personal information. And they agree that we have the right to know.