And it gets even BETTER... Throughout each day Ogan's GPS tracking tells us exactly where he is, while the pictures that accompany the updates shows the things he sees, and the people he meets with too! On the website, in what he calls "dispatches" he also tells the stories he has been given full permission to share. All these things combined really do give you the sense of taking the journey with Ogan.
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Of course, these web pages are also used to organize
gatherings along the way, and recently there was a call to action for
supporters to contact their members of Congress to encourage them to meet with
Ogan during the week after he arrives in DC, on the 26th. He already
has some appointments set, but there really needs to be as many of them as
possible taking the time to listen to what Americans have to say about their
health care needs. -
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Because Ogan took the initiative on his own and (I believe) due to his not endorsing any particular policy on reform; all the costs have come out of his own pocket and logistics have been tricky at times. There are a couple other volunteers besides me, who have arranged some free hotel stays, supporters have made donations, and some people he has met have been generous with their hospitality as well. However, there is a bit of uncertainty from day to day with various details, and he's about to enter into the Appalachians, a very remote area, and especially unfit for somebody on foot! Just to give you a little idea of what this Walk for Healthcare entails, here are -a few things that happen daily: Morning prep includes treatment for his blistered feet, a "courier" drives him to the next hotel to drop off his bag and then to the point where he stopped the night before, walking along the Lincoln Hwy (HWY 30) means there may not even be shoulder-space to walk on, he meets with about a dozen people throughout the day, speaks with reporters from both newspapers & local news stations, occasionally attends events too, and all ending with a ride back to the hotel or host-home where he uploads the day's news and then to sleep.
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We are more optimistic than we had been about his being able
to gain the extra support he will need while traveling this next treacherous
bit of his journey, because of a rather interesting development of late that was
a result of this well-interconnected movement. The night Ogan left Pittsburgh there had not
been a ride arranged back to his next resting stop. So Ogan Twittered that
since this was the case, he had decided to tread on into the night onto to his
next stop. One of his followers had seen the post, and drove out to the highway
where Ogan was to give him a ride to his next destination! It's clear that this
could not have happened without the ability to share it so readily with the
entire group of Walk for Healthcare supporters. ----
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I believe that by the time Ogan arrives in DC on the 26th, considering the amount of press and steady increase of supporters this brilliantly orchestrated movement has already had; The Hill will not be able to ignore the Voice of the People
I've finally found a health care reform movement that incorporates all the elements of activism that I know actually work, and I hope everybody reading will join in support of it too. This really is where the tech-rubber meets the activism-road.
And I dare say, I believe, "It's just what the doctor ordered!"
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