I am in the car with two veterans, M and N, about a week before the election.
The driver says, "M, are you voting?"
M laughs. "Not me," he says. "Are you?"
"No, I'm not going to be part of the problem."
Now, what passes through my mind is that this is part of a group that boasts frequently about avoiding taxes. And I am the physician for one of them. And that my patients are mostly medicare, though of course the veterans are on Veterans Choice.
And it is those taxes that pay me to take care of them.
"What about you, lizard? Are you part of the problem?"
"Yes." I say. "I am clearly part of the problem."