Re: [ozmidwifery] what doctors learn at med school!

[Aviva Sheb'a]

Gees, Rhonda, I feel for you with your business. Why would anyone want to get a tongue pierced? <shudder>    Read what I'm saying next carefully please. I understand your situation; that not what I'm about to rant about. It's the situation in general.   This whole business of "class distinction" gets on my nerves. We, of the "lower socio-economic class", are fed up with "middle class" people who are educated in The System on how to rip off the people with less, ripping us off. Just because we have not had the opportunities of education, (which included how to get along in The System) did not have the sheer luck (or whatever it may be) of marrying the "right" person with the "right" pay packet or socio-economic status to haul us out of whatever we've been forced into, does not mean Freddy or Freda Bloggs has the right to exploit us.   In my own case, I have been very shabbily treated by several "landlords" (my, how THAT term needs to be changed!). The last one used his position as a big-wig at Australia Post to have me turfed out with my children on false pretences, gathering along the way a series of false "information". He lied under oath, as did his missus, at the Residential Tenancies Tribunal. This was largely responsible for my son leaving home.   Since I moved with my Darlings to Adelaide in 1996, we have lived in 5 different houses. One was in such bad state that when I contacted the housing inspectors after the electricals failed and the landlord wanted me to pay $2000 for the place to be rewired, there was a list as long as your arm of things to be fixed to bring the house up to "liveable" standard. The inspector found all the electricals were wired by an amateur from one joint in the roof -- less than a metre from where there'd been a leak from the holey roof for over ten years. The inspector could not understand how there'd never been a fire.   The damned "landlord" actually told me I should consider myself lucky to live in such a place, there's plenty worse. Yes, I said, I've seen people dying of starvation without even a piece of plastic for shelter -- in India, in Vietnam during the war, in Indonesia, but this is Adelaide, Australia. The place I'm in currently is dreadful to live in at $175 per week. I'm on a Centrelink payment which is inadequate, but I cannot realistically be a full-time mother and go out to work. How others manage it, I do not know. When I did do it for a while, my children went bananas and I chose to live on a small income rather than let them go off the rails.   Many people of the 'lower socio-economic class" are not there by choice. We would love to have a mortgage, which would be less to pay than rent.   Many have a background of child abuse or other hardships. Many have worked hard but been treated badly and left with no option but to quit, making it harder to get another job. It can leave one bitter and cynical.   You have no idea how hard it is to haul oneself out of that pit once you've fallen into it. You do not have enough money for clothing. To buy food, you have to hunt around for the cheapest. Your have to beg the school to allow your child to go on excursions, to do subjects where there is a fee. To not have to pay the school fees, even though it's a government school, the fees are much too high for those on a low income.   An example of this is my son's high school staff insisted I talk to all the school councillors as well as the Outdoor Education teachers and tell them exactly WHY I could not afford the Outdoor Ed. fees, yet wanted Leslie to do that subject. I had to do that twice every term. I found out I had to tell them he wanted to be an Outdoor Ed teacher so he could do it as a subject in Years 10 & 11. If you don't have the money, they said, there has to be a valid reason for him doing the subject that anyone with $85 per term is allowed to do.   We have to beg for all sorts of rights that others take for granted. How do you think we put shoes on our children's feet? By going without decent shoes ourselves. This is how I became physically disabled to the point where I could no longer walk and they had to do the shopping. I cannot take public transport, yet maintaining my 1975 Corona is difficult. I have to pay more for petrol than I would with car on unleaded. Paying registration is $110 every three months. If I could save up enough to pay for a year, it would be considerably less, but it's impossible. There are many ways in which the "middle class" make us pay more because we have less, which makes it even more difficult to get out of the poverty trap.   Every attempt I have made at getting out of the poverty trap has led me further into it, further back financially.   How do you get a job anyway, wearing shabby clothing and shoes, when you're up against people who have been in the workforce consistently for twenty years or more, who have the clothing, the car, are able to afford to look after themselves so they look more "the part"? How do we afford dental bills? In an emergency, I can go to the dental hospital and have a tooth pulled out, but that leaves a permanent gap. In our society, one can tell another's socio-economic status just by looking at the teeth. Even decent toothbrushes are beyond our budget.   What I don't understand is how some people in this situation manage to buy cigarettes.   Do you now understand why so many of us are bitter? I just love the assumption made by most people that because I am articulate, care about people, have done a lot with my life, that I am "middle class". Thanks for the "compliment"??? I've thought about taking my case to ACA, but have not had the guts. I say, good luck to those who do -- AS LONG AS IT'S GENUINE!   As an artist (writer, performer), I am thoroughly fed up with being expected to entertain those who can afford to pay for tickets -- exclusively the "middle class" -- in situations where the bureaucrats, bar staff, ticket sellers, ushers, technicians, get paid, but the artists whom the public go to see, do not. The show I put on last month cost me over $300 in expenses, yet the venue director expects me to be happy with $85 door takings --- and I have five musicians to pay. I spent two months preparing for that show, yet am expected to be happy to pay for the privilege. Go tell me that's not the "middle class" exploiting the "lower socio-economic class".   Remember, before John Howard lied his way into power, we NEVER talked about class in Australia. That was something we were proud of. I had sufficient paid casual work to be able to care for my children and have a few luxuries like shoes, the occasional movie or concert.   Aviva-in-dismay-and-anger   ----- Original Message ----- From: Rhonda To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, November 11, 2002 11:54 PM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] what doctors learn at med school!     ..."its the underlying premise in all that we do"..."we have to always be thinking at every moment...are you the one who is going to make my life hell?"   Ok - well I can almost understand this way of thinking and i do not condone it. But, our Body Piercing Studio - cannot get insurance at all - never have been able to even though it should be very low risk.  However, we have had a court case going for the past 2 yrs - still dragging out over a piercing that we didn't even do.  The guy seems to have been paid by the shop that did do the piercing to say we did it.  (he had his tongue done by them on a Wed AM - it got swollen and he ended up in hospital on Sunday PM.  He had it removed surgically - 2 days latter (so on tuesday)they did a tracheostemy for infection from swelling and then a day after that he had renal failure and now he is saying we did the piercing on the Thursday and the problems must have all been our fault.  A - he has NO proof at all and B - we have witnesses too say we did not do and and saw he had it done on Wed.  But it is still dragging out and costing in legal fees. Because he has the doctors assisting him we have had a hell of a time proving that it is a a great big fraudulent case and a lie.  And the doctors wont admit that they may have caused a problem - even though he got the swelling 2 days after they removed it. So i in some ways look at clients as - "Are you the next dickhead who is going to try to make my life hell?" I have some highly educated clients who I can chat to for hours and fiinally get round to what they have come in for and i also have clients who are absolute "nuff nuffs" and as they walk out the door the prediction of how long it will take for them to return with an infection is almost worth betting on. I must admit that some surprize me and do take care of the piercing and return for the check up in two weeks time with no problems - to my relief.   It seems to be the lower socio economic clients who are more inclined to expect to pay less and sue if they have a problem -  it seems to me that the lower socio economic clients are more likely to go to the TV shows and the likes because it is not worth counter sueing for defamation as they have nothing.  If I were to go on TV and defame someone I would risk litigation and the loss of my business and house etc but if I have nothing - what can I loose. Next time you see someone bagging any business on the likes of ACA you will notice the socio economic status of that person.  Most of them are low income people in rented houses.  I guess Doctors see the same thing and the mentality is therefore being taught to them.  It is so sad for this to be happening.   Unfortunately, since we have had this rediculous case happen to us we are more distant from clients in general and defensive.  Wef find it hard t trust people. We have the consolation that - A - we didn't do it and B - because they lied on ACA we will eventually win our case and then look at defamation.  Here i am a country girl just trying to make ends meet (we just sold a bull - he cost us about $120 in formula and feed - because we have not had enough rain we had to sell him - we got $49) Situation grim and rain not coming it is taking it's toll on the farmers and then to top it off we have litigation to contend with.  I look at my life sometimes and think - who needs TV shows.    Sorry to rant so long - just sometimes can't believe how some "nuff nuff" people can get legal help and how we are becoming so much run by lawers and litigation.    Regards Rhonda   From: ozmidwifery@acegraphics. I had the dubious pleasure of sharing last semester with a group of first year medical students, These young women will be unleashed on the community in approx. 7 years; God help us! Carolyn __