77 Year Old Man with Cancer pushing Carriages today in 94 degree heat at Wal-Mart

[romantico]

Yup! I am not kidding. I have seen this guy before pushing carriages.The man looks so skinny and frail.I saw him today and felt bad for him.As I walked towards the entrance I saw a man approach him who I assume was a boss.He asked if he could work tomorrow and the old man said he has chemo on Wednesday afternoons and is usually sick all day on Thursdays. The boss backed down and looked upset and went back inside.I couldn't believe my ears.Another man was leaving as he overheard what I heard. The man said to the employee, "you shouldn't be working". The man said 'tell me about it.I'm 77 years old and I have retired three times already. Gotta pay the bills. It took every bit of strength for me to go in. I have been telling everyone all day. If anyone saw this poor guy I swear you'd feel so bad for him.Anyway, another great Wal-Mart story to add to our collection.

[JNelson6563]

1. Compassionate conservatism at its best

lousy bastards.

Julie

[roguevalley]

35. he sounds like my dad. inside every old person is a child that had

hope and energy and love and dreams. no one believes at ten or twenty or even forty that life will deal such a low hand. I will pray for him tonight. I don't know him but he feels like my Dad.

Alan Bishop, b. 7-14-1927, d. 7-23-2006
cancer victim.

[Hubert Flottz]

41. My dad too...

[Lars39]

2. Not just at Wal-mart. :^(

[emilyg]

23. you're right

Woman clerk at Macy's almost same story.

[Ishoutandscream2]

3. "how uniquely American" says the Chimp

Things like this shouldn't occur in the so-called richest nation in the world. It's not only a damn shame, but criminal as well.

[liberalnurse]

4. I'm speechless!

:wow: :scared: :wow:

[OzarkDem]

19. Its very common these days

Even people on Medicare have high copayments. For many, Social Security or disability payments are $600 or $700 per month.

Real world, welcome to it.

[superkia]

25. My mom gets a solid $560 a month!

Had to take part time retirement because of her arthritis and bad back and cant get disability. I pay for her insurance for the next two years until she turns 65. Her rent alone is $605, forget about anything else! Worked her ass off all her life, two jobs for the most part and this is what the government has for her.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. That Just Sucks....

eom

[romantico]

7. I kept saying all day

I need to report this and complain, but no laws are being broken.I doubt the guy is making much moeny.If a 77 year HAS to work it should be in a air conditioned building atleast and if you have cancer you shouldn't be doing manual labor!In my opinion, I would think Wal-Mart and the suits that work for Wal-Mart would frown on this sort of image.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. They Should At Least Let Him Be A Greeter

You know, the "pleasant" person who makes sure you have a receipt when you leave....

[Sarah Ibarruri]

6. Actually, it's a great U.S. story. That's what the American dream is about.....

being old, being terminally ill, having to work or go hungry, and working for young, rich @$$holes. Long live the U.S. of A.

[Bluzmann57]

9. Very sad story

Can't blame Wal Mart entirely but no matter, it's just a sad commentary on modern America when a 77 year old guy who is sick has to work at all. Universal Health Care now!

[Harper_is_Bush]

10. That's not a Wal-Mart story, it's an American health care story.

If he retired already, then why is he working? Because he's sick, obviously.

[yardwork]

30. That's probably correct. He has to work to pay for his medical treatments.

I have a friend who has breast cancer. It has recurred twice, and the prognosis is not good. She's been fighting it for several years, trying to live long enough to raise her son. Her husband died of lung cancer about five years ago, a year after she was first diagnosed. She is a nurse. She works weekends and 12-hour shifts in a hospital. This schedule is essential to give her time to take care of her son, since she's now a single mom. Her job provides health benefits. She can't quit. She can't miss work. She has no family in the area.

In any other developed country in the world she would have some time off to recover from cancer treatments. She would be guaranteed cancer treatments and wouldn't have to keep this stressful job in order to afford her treatments.

[havocmom]

11. The story isn't about Wal-mart but the way we treat elders and sick in America

ALL businesses benefit when workers are desperate. People can't retire. Too little wages during regular working years. Too many stiffed on their pension plans. Too many people left in poverty due to medical bills.

It's not Wal-mart. It's the system. It doesn't work. There is no mechanisms for taking care of the needs OF PEOPLE.

[marions ghost]

14. you said it havocmom

...n/t :mad:

[Postman]

17. It DOES and IS working....

If you're a large company like Wal-Mart, the system is working.

I'm on your side and I know what you mean but to organizations like Wal-Mart, there is nothing wrong with the system...

[Pushed To The Left]

28. I don't think some people realize how harmful right wing policies are to the poor and elderly

I agree that it's not just a Wal-Mart story, but a story on how the far right ideology is destroying the country.

[Postman]

12. I don't know about where you live but....

the quality of workers that Wal-Mart employs where I live is, let's just say they aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer....

I believe Wal-Mart weeds out people who are pro-union and hires people they can propagandize with their anti-union nonsense....

So you end up with a stupid labor force, scratching their collective heads as to why they can't make ends meet....

OR

I'm completely wrong. And employees ARE aware of what's needed but are too afraid to do anything about it for fear of losing their jobs...

[THUNDER HANDS]

16. you're not far off in that assessment

before Wal-Mart hires you they make you take a 40 or 50 question survey to test things about your personality. I'm sure they can tell from the questions on that survey how likely you are to cause trouble for them.

[OzarkDem]

18. How many companies will hire a 77 yr old man?

Let's try not to blame the victim, here.

[Postman]

20. The question should be...

Why does a 77 yr old HAVE TO WORK?

I don't blame the guy at all.

[Beaverhausen]

21. Wal Mart takes out life insurance policies on their older employees

My boyfriend's 75 year old father was working there when he died a few years ago. For all we know Wal Mart got an insurance payout when he died.

[kineneb]

37. "dead peasant" insurance is what it is called... nt

[OzarkDem]

13. One of our bc patients today

70 yr old woman just finished chemo and started rx therapy; she earns less than $600 month on Social Security and is getting socked by the hospital for $50 per rx treatment 5 days a wk, for 6 wks, plus they're charging her a $450 per month copay.

We had a nice chat w/ the hospital and discussed a possible television interview on the topic. :mad: They're backing down.

How does anyone get by on $600 a month even when healthy & no medical bills?

BTW, we get about 1 - 2 cases a week like this.

On edit: No, American Cancer Society doesn't help with this, nor does the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

[Maraya1969]

34. That woman should qualify for Medicaid. Her income is low enough.

And Medicaid helps pay the copays and puts you in a prescription plan that you do not have to pay for.

What is needed is more patient advocates that help people get the benefits they qualify for.

I mean heck she qualifies for food stamps with that income!

[aquart]

15. Medical bills, I assume?

I love my country and I am ashamed it sucks.

[xchrom]

22. the american dream has become the american mill stone.

i realize not for everyone -- but for far too many -- horizontally and vertically -- this place ain't working for it's citizens.

[bahrbearian]

24. So did his Boss , just walk back in and not take any Carts with him.

Was pushing carts beneath him?

[bahrbearian]

26. "I'll just walk out to the parking lot, I was getting a little chill in my office

from the air/conditioning. hey theres Fred I need someone to push carts tommorrow , it's going to hit 96%."

[progressoid]

27. See! The economy is booming!

There are so many jobs, we have to pull people out of retirement to... oh, wait... that wasn't the point was it?

Sorry.

[file83]

49. Good point.

:thumbsup:

[Gregorian]

29. That's just deflating.

And frightening. That could be any of us.

It just boggles my mind that we could call ourselves civilized, and yet be so closely resembling the very jungles we sought to raise ourselves from. I don't care what his troubles are. Whether it's all his fault. Maybe he smoked. Drank. Did it to himself somehow. None of that matters. In a decent society, we take care of each other. You and I are not going to personally take care of that man. Not unless we're philanthropists. This is why we create countries. Communities. Societies. Are we not humane.

I so long for a decent society. Not one where we have to argue with each other about what is right. We are all of the same genome. There are undeniable needs. How could we be where we are, where we could simply neglect one another. It's sick. And I'll tell you, this kills me inside. It kills us all. I suppose it even hurts conservatives to see that. But they deny it, I'm sure. I ask what is wrong, just like that man asked last night in the debates. The same question.

Shame on America. Shame on conservatives. Hillary had a health care plan. It could have worked.

[yardwork]

31. Actually, it's not very likely that he led an unhealthy life

or he probably wouldn't be able to work at the age of 77. I realize that you said that it didn't matter, so I'm not arguing with you. I'm just pointing out that this man is heroic in his ability to work manual labor while fighting cancer and who knows what else at the age of 77. He could probably give a remarkable inspirational speech to youngsters. Too bad our stupid society is wasting him pushing carts at Wal-Mart.

[marmar]

32. As Michael Moore asked in "SiCKO": Who are we?

What have we become?

[The Gunslinger]

33. "How uniquely American" nt

[AuntPatsy]

36. It is so heartbreaking to have to agree with you, we just don't care about our elderly, not at all.

[Beerboy]

38. What is the point you're trying to make?

what is it, exactly? The boss (your assumption) backed down from what? Should old people who want to work be discriminated against from seeking employment? Do you have an age cut-off point? Excuse my obtuse read on your OP, but I don't get what it is you're trying to convey.
:shrug:

[Maddy McCall]

39. You are being deliberately obtuse.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

40. I Think

I think the assertion implied in the OP's narrative is that an old sick man shouldn't have to work anymore...

[hatrack]

43. Have another beer, boy.

You need one.

[DaveJ]

45. If it's not obvious...

Not sure if you are reading replies, but pushing carts is one of the harder jobs at a store like that and should be left to the young'ins. My guess is that the young kids are behind the cash registers because management think their nice looks will attract more sales.

Any decent civilized management would give the guy an easier job in his condition, show some respect for our elders... unless he absolutely insisted on pushing carts in 94 degrees, which I doubt.

[Javaman]

47. Ahhh beerboy, obviously the champion of the down trodden.

the point is: he could be anyone one of us.

check back with me when your 77.

[Vinca]

42. I bet there are a million people like this guy. It's very, very sad.

But, if a Republican is elected President in 2008, it's going to get worse. They've got this "every man for himself" mentality and old guys with cancer are no big deal.

[lildreamer316]

44. Please send this to Michael Moore.

You never know.

[Javaman]

46. Well ain't that america for you and me...

little pink houses for you and me...

:sarcasm:

[BornagainDUer]

48. The law of jungle, survival of the fittest, or fattest, or... feudalism...ugh,...

anyway you got a problem with free enterprise?

[1776Forever]

50. All I could thing of is "Let them eat cake!" Bush is going down as one of the worst if not the worst

President in the history of the U.S. I am getting up there in age and have to go back to work too. My husband is retired Military but still works part time. My son, who is in his 30's developed MS 3 years ago and we took care of him 100% for almost 2 years because we could get no assistance because he has no minor children. It took every bit of savings and almost put us into bankruptcy, which we aren't that far from now.

Yeah Bush - cut the richest people's taxes, send the work overseas, don't give chronically ill patients health care, spend Trillions on corporate war profiteers, let the infrastructure in the U.S. crumple, give billions to so called 'faith-based' groups and let the energy prices go through the roof with unprecedented profits to the oil companies, and keeps telling us the conflict in Iraq is getting better with 8 million refugees and no water or electricity in Baghdad! I am sure there are more, but isn't this enough? Oh by the way - God bless you too - :argh: