We Know Where You Live!

Another try. Now was the time to picket the main entrance to the hospital. One police officer stopped by, greeted the veteran walking with me, and disappeared into the hospital, never to be seen again.

"Mary, I have to leave now," said the veteran who had been by my side for almost an hour.

"Okay, I will keep on picketing."

The veteran was just driving off when the police truck drove up and two VA police officers got out.

"You know you are on federal property", said the male officer. "Where is your ID?"

I remained silent. The female officer said, "It doesn't matter. We know who she is and we know where she lives."

"Well, continued the male officer, "We can fine you and arrest you if you don't leave."

Then he took a photo of the photographer who was taking pictures of this encounter.

Soon after he left, went into the hospital, never to be seen again, and left the young female officer to deal with me. She took away my sign. I looked around and not seeing my photographer, and missing my poster, I decided to accompany the female down to the entrance of the VA where I could retrieve my sign, remain on the federal property and wait to be arrested. My photographer drove up. It turns out that he had not left me, but had circled around to get more shots and was out of my view.

The female officer told me that the officer who had her photo taken with me before had got into trouble. "I don't want to lose my job," she said, "I have children to support and I know that I am being photographed."

"Well, you will lose it anyway if the VA closes," said I. "Go back up the hill and bring your boss back who threatened me with a fine and jail. I will be here, sitting on federal property."

She, too, disappeared, never to be seen again. I suppose the VA police, who are all veterans and are sympathetic to the plight of veterans, are simply following their orders. Those orders must be to avoid negative press at all costs. At least that is how it appears. They threaten and then fade out of sight.

Meanwhile, the national media ignore our battle in this fly-over-zone, and our VA continues to dwindle. The cuts are continuous and ruthless. The minds of the VA administration seem to be made up and that thought does not include the best interest of veterans or taxpayers.

Go figure!




Photo courtesy of William Ing