person living with chronic pain and limited energy and mobility I truly don't understand how I'm supposed to physically be capable of the travel and physical/emotional exertion to attend a rally. Seems kinda out of touch with reality to me. I

The government has already decided that chronic pain patients are all drug addicts and liars who just need to meditate/lose weight/suck it up and quit being lazy. They've already decided that we're the easily identifiable/easily silenced link in the "opiate menace" chain so we'll be the victimized party so the powers that be can say they're "doing" something.

Also, wouldn't it be great if you know, our legitimate suffering was accepted/believed by the medical community in the first place and the legal apparatus of our government wasn't allowed to harass us or our doctors and have a say in personal medical decisions.

Sorry just resentful and angry because I know that rallys petitions and asking the government to do right by us won't do anything. This is the new war on drugs. What with pot becoming look legal and all the government needs a new boogyman to justify the spending and support the private prison/rehab/pharmaceutical industry. The way they've acted with rescheduling marijuana and kratom is a prime example of how this is all already rigged. The fda/dea might give us token "public feedback* times for stuff but in the end it's all just to shut us up and make us feel like maybe we'll accomplish something. The government has obviously already decided about marijuana, kratom and pain patients access to opiates.

So do I. I totally get it. If I had the funds - I would be flying ideally. Pain hurts, and it hurts like hell. It is like a catch-22. Now, if there were the means and opportunity to go (funding) that would be a different story. Sadly, that is unrealistic thinking.

I wish I had a friend who would go as me.