[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 53 (Tuesday, April 29, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E779]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       NO ONE EVER SAYS WE DON'T HAVE MONEY FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE

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                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 29, 1997

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I hosted a reception for the 
exhibition ``A Matriot's Dream: Health Care For All''. It is a 
collection of photographs and poetry that combine to educate the viewer 
on the plight of those who do not have access to health care.
  I was honored to be able to help bring this exhibition to Congress. 
Unfortunately, most Members were not in D.C. at that time and many 
staff did not stay for the reception. Thankfully, though, it will 
remain in D.C. for the entire month of May. I highly recommend all my 
colleagues make an effort to see the exhibition. This is a moving 
exhibition that I believe will serve only to increase everyone's desire 
to help those without health care. I believe it makes a compelling case 
for universal health care, even to the most dogged opponents.
  The photographer, Kira Carrillo Corser, quit her job at PBS more than 
six years ago to start her own photography business. Having been 
healthy all her life, she decided to wait a year before getting health 
care, which was going to cost her more than five times what she was 
paying while at PBS. Murphy's Law, six months later she found out that 
she had ovarian cancer. At that point, no insurance company would take 
her as a client because she had a ``pre-existing condition''. Only 
through the assistance of friends and family was she able to get the 
treatment necessary to survive the cancer.
  Kira and her colleague, Frances Payne Adler, had worked together on 
past exhibits before and decided to focus on the necessity for 
universal access to health care.
  A few of the photographs in the exhibit show Kira's struggle with the 
cancer and lack of health care coverage. The other photographs are a 
graphic representation of the plight of others who are living without 
health care.
  The poet, Frances Payne Adler, developed the following definition for 
``matriot'' which she chose for the title of her poem and the name of 
the exhibition. Matriot: 1) One who loves his/her country; 2) One who 
loves and protects the people of his or her country; 3) One who 
perceives national defense as health, education, and shelter of all 
people in his or her country.
  I am inserting the signature poem for the exhibition:

                                Matriot

                    (By Helen Vandevere, born 1904)

     There's not much that's important at my age except making the 
           world a better place.
     What would I do?

     I say we damn well better get out on the streets again.
     Everyone has to put their hand to the wheel and get out and 
           get off their butt like in the sixties. We had 
           compassion then, and we've lost it. It breaks my heart.

     I've lived through two depressions. Two of them. Everyone at 
           that time was just sick about the way things were, just 
           like now, only it's worse
     I see everything falling apart--
     People, starving on the streets.
     children, beaten in their homes.
     Sick people without health care.
     Imagine this, in a country that spends so much on the war 
           machine.

     I'd spend the money on health instead.
     I'd see that children are born healthy and make sure they 
           stayed that way.
     All children no matter what age.
     I'd clean the air, the water. I'd take away all that 
           polluting shit they put on vegetables.
     I'd promote the use of sun, sea, and wind for natural energy. 
           I'd save the forests, especially the redwoods. I'd ban 
           firearms.
     I'd take away every nuclear device man to man.
     No more wars, ever. Now we're talking health.

     How are we going to pay for all this?
     No one ever says we don't have enough money to go to war. No 
           one ever says we don't have money for national defense.

     This is national defense.

  For those of you who wish to see the exhibit from your home or 
office, it is available on line at http://www.monterey.edu/events/
matriot

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