We can depend on the goodwill and conscience of those who have jobs,
insurance and the time to dedicate their efforts to those without...


INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Though he'd waited since 3:25 a.m. to see a
dentist, a smile graced the face of Arturo Castaneda on Tuesday
afternoon as he leaned against his blind man's cane and waited for
someone to pull his bothersome tooth.

Like hundreds of others who showed up in the pre-dawn hours for free
health care at The Forum in Inglewood, the 50-year-old man was
relieved that he would receive the care he needed. Eventually.

Though blind, Castaneda's wasted eyes flitted over the hundreds of
doctors and nurses who had volunteered to provide free dentistry,
medical exams and vision care to the 1,500 uninsured, underinsured,
unemployed and needy patients.

"This is beautiful, very beautiful. A very beautiful service they are
doing for these people," he said....

"It's awful, people who say we don't need a national health program,"
said 61-year-old Paula Cook as she waited for a mammogram. After she
lost her job two years ago, she lost her health insurance and hasn't
been able to find insurance that will accept her.

"Now, no one will insure me because they say I have a pre-existing
condition — a hip replacement!" said Cook.