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• Elderly Issues
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Elderly Issues.

How is it possible for us as the keepers of today to treat our elderly the way we do? This is beyond me. The very people that gave us the world we live in today, the rights and the freedoms that we enjoy without even thinking twice about it. Where did it all come from? Who were the activists of yesterday? Who were the ones who fought for us to have what we have today? It's simple; the elderly of today are the ones who passed it all on to us. Without them we wouldn't be the people we are today. I am very fortunate in the fact that I still have all four of my grandparents and can remember five of my great-grandparents.

Nothing will set me off faster than seeing an elderly person being taken advantage of or being disrespected. Next to maybe young children being abused. I see these things happening in our streets, and hear the elderly people in our community say that they are afraid to leave their apartments at night because of the activities going on in the halls of the buildings they live in. Not wanting to go to the store after dark because of what is happening in our streets. How often do you see older people out sitting on their porches anymore enjoying the evening? How often do you see them walking around at night anymore? Take a look around you; you won't see it happening much.

Back in 2002 I called my grandmother because I was so angry that our county government was kicking elderly people out of a nursing home. Some of these people were elderly veterans; people who had put their lives on the line for this country, who had lived through the depression, who had meaningful lives, were being treated absolutely horribly in my opinion. At that time I made my living driving specialized transportation so I was right there witnessing what was happening and saw with my own eyes the anguish these people were going through. My grandmother replied, "You can moan, grown, and complain all you want, but if you're not willing to do something about it it's not going to change."

Well I thought about this over night and I called her the next day and said "You're right I am going to run for county commissioner" I thought I had given her a heart attack! For the first time in a long time she was speechless.

I did run back in 2002, and I ran again in 2004, not because I have nothing better to do with my time but because I see things throughout this county that I feel need to be changed. If I need to fight for those changes then fight I will. I am a McKay we don't give up or give in; we fight for what we believe in. If we get knocked down we get up brush ourselves off and get back on the horse.

I don't feel any elderly person should have to choose between food and medicine or food and heat. It should be their golden years not their worrisome years. I know some elderly people are having a hard time paying their taxes on their fixed income, yet every time we turn around it seems somebody is raising taxes... the city, the county and the state.

When does it all stop or at least slow down?