Bring Us Your Tired, Your Ill, Your Poor And Disadvantaged...

"I just wish I could get President Trump to come and see this. The people here are Mr. Trump's constituency, they're his voters, and it drives me up the wall."
"If he saw what was happening I'm sure he'd do something about it. Unfortunately ... I don't tweet."
"This organization was designed to parachute into the most God-awful places. I expected to see stuff like this in South Sudan and Haiti, but it's right here in the United States of America."
Stan Brock, 80, British philanthropist, founder, Remote Area Medical charity

"I love Trump. ObamaCare don't pay for false teeth and glasses and I blame the Democrats."
"I'm diabetic and I can't hardly see you. I need glasses but I ain't got $400 to pay for them. I know Trump will get it done for us."
Margaret Harris, 54, Wise, Virginia

"That's not Trump, [responsible that he has no insurance] it's the people in Congress. I know he's trying to help us and I'm still with him."
"We need to vote out the people in Congress who aren't helping him."
Robert Hicks, 75, former truck driver

"People are dropping out of that Obama Care. I believe if Congress would get together with Mr. Trump we would all be a lot better off."
"Repeal it and replace it with something better. Good luck to him."
Lois Black, 91, Trump supporter

Photo: Stephanie Klein-Davis, The Roanoke Times: People lined up to enter The Remote Area Medical Clinic before the sun comes up on Friday, at the Wise County Fairgrounds

"[The Senate repeal bill would be] absolutely devastating [something Trump's supporters should realize]."
"Take any president's name out of this and ask people, whoever they voted for, about massive cuts to Medicaid."
"That's taking care away from kids, folks with disabilities, parents and grandparents in nursing homes."
Tim Kaine, Virginia senator, (Clinton presidential election running mate)

Photo: Earl Neikirk, BHC - A patient gets her eyes checked at the Remote Area Medical Clinic at Wise County Fairgrounds

Senator Kaine was present as a volunteer at the county fairground in Wise, Virginia, where the British-based charity Remote Area Medical, was holding a medical workshop for the weekend, offering basic medical treatment to area residents unable to receive the medical attention they required through conventional means by attending a local hospital.

With rotting teeth, high blood pressure, some people on crutches or using oxygen tanks limped along as the morning greeted the departing night's darkness. Many had camped overnight in a field. Many other had slept in their cars, anxious to be seen, hoping to be first in line for medical attention. Staffed by volunteer doctors, nurses and dentists, thousands of people were treated inside a barn at the massive free health-care event.

Within the barn, animal stalls had been transformed into makeshift medical facilities where teams of optometrists tested for glaucoma. Mammograms and skin examinations were carried out in trucks.

Though the hugely imperfect ObamaCare limped into law through a prolonged struggle, enabling 20 million Americans to obtain health insurance, it became a popular issue during the 2016 presidential campaign where Republicans, characterizing it as an unworkable system based on an expensive overreach by government, supported their candidate's promise to repeal it.

The irony is that the very people who are most in need of the benefits of universal health care coverage from the state are the very demographic that gave their unconditional support to the election of Donald Trump the president who vowed to swiftly oversee the dismantling of President Obama's derided and despised legacy project.

In a wealthy country which has distinguished itself by being alone among the world's advanced economies lacking a public, universal health-care system covering its population's needs.

An investigative reporter for the Daily Telegraph interviewing a handful of Trump voters who were seeking out health care at the fairground found that each and every one remained loyal to the very man who plans to destroy the system that allows them a bare vestige of coverage. Each said that in their opinion ObamaCare should be repealed and that having been done, President Trump would install a much-improved system to benefit them all.

There were those who, under ObamaCare had indeed gained health insurance coverage, yet were incapable of paying for the rising cost of their monthly premiums. All, without exception, were convinced that President Trump meant to improve matters on their behalf, and that he was hampered by a retrograde Congress that cared nothing for their welfare.

Buddy Howington saw his ObamaCare premiums rise to an annual $2,500, while he earned $7.25 hourly at a local supermarket. He abandoned coverage "Then they fined me $300 for not paying. I couldn't afford to pay for ObamaCare so they fine me. Makes no sense. I don't know what's going on in Washington, but I think Trump will help eventually", the 48-year-old there to have his teeth extracted, said trustingly.

Photo: Stephanie Klein-Davis, The Roanoke Times ... Dental vision and medical care was offered free by volunteer health professionals at the Remote Area Medical event at Wise County Fairgrounds