Opinion by Consumer Advocate Tim Bolen
Friday, March 18th, 2011 The Health Freedom Expo series is in its seventh year. It seems like just yesterday that I went to the first one over by the LA Airport. Wendell Whitman, who I dearly miss, was wandering around by the sign-up booth worrying that not enough people would come.
Did they come? Oh yes. The following year the event was moved to the much larger Long Beach Convention Center. This year, it has moved to an even larger facility yet, still at the Long Beach Convention Center – March 25th, 26th, and 27th, 2011.
Wendell passed away in 2008, and although his marvelous daughter Julie Whitman Kline carries on very well, I miss his presence, and his tart sense of humor. Being of the same age group we could comment with same references on the state of the world – and we did.
I spoke at those early Expos, and went out of my way to recruit the best speakers I could find. Hulda Clark found a home there, speaking both on Saturday and Sunday, and holding a lab on Sunday afternoons.
But, for me, it was, and is, the camaraderie. The hallways, byways, the exhibitor floor, and the doorways going in and out of speaker’s rooms become the place of smiles where, if sometimes only for a moment, you get to greet old friends and allies, from the years gone by.
Although there are always new faces, and welcome they are, there is a solidity to the event, marking perhaps the place of rite of passage in the North American Health Freedom Movement. For it is here that the history of the movement moves forward to its next accomplishment. The people you see there, although you may not know it in the moment, are those carrying legislation in 50 States, or defeating bad legislation in the same environs. Mixed on the crowd are the warriors – attorneys, activists, no-nonsense strong eye-contact “we will get this done…” people who have learned from the earlier generations and have brought even more modern solutions to the war conference.
Of course, it is here one can find a cross section of modern health care – and I am not referring to the US Status quo. I am referring to what is replacing it.
Eighty-Nine (89) Year Old Clinton Ray Miller Called Me…
Clinton Ray Miller, probably the oldest living Health Freedom Activist on Planet Earth, called me a couple weeks ago and asked me why I was not speaking at the Long Beach Health Freedom Expo this year. I couldn’t really give him a reason except to say “There are a lot of people that need the speaker space Clinton. People know who I am, and what I do…” But, the truth actually was that with Wendell gone, and my friend Hulda Clark gone, I guess I just didn’t want the place to be a reminder of the good times with those friends that will not occur again.
But Clinton is a smart old bird, and he pointed out that he, Clinton Ray Miller, was the kick-off speaker, for the whole event, at 10:00 AM Friday morning, and he insists that he wants to introduce me, once again, to the the crowd.
Well, you don’t get very far saying “no” to Clinton Ray Miller. So, I will be there. Most of the weekend.
So, for all you young whipper-snappers who don’t know who Clinton Ray Miller is, besides clicking on his name, right here, right now, I am going to give you a sample. Click here to go to a website that has just a few more facts about some of his activities. Of real interest are the three videos (one video cut into three parts) that document the infamous 1984 Congressional “Quackery” hearings. In these days of testimony, Miller literally shredded the statements of the current quackpot flavor-of-the-month Victor Herbert (who you see testifying first). Listen first to Herbert’s nonsensical rants, and pick out what this scumbag labeled as “quackery.” Then note how UNsuccessful Herbert and his ilk were – for the things he railed against – every one – are all alive and doing well in 2011.
More, it looks to me, that because these “Quackery” hearings back-fired so badly on the self-styled quackbusters (snicker), Herbert, and his ilk, filed their disastrous “Herbert v American Quack Association” lawsuit.
Stop by the Long Beach Health Freedom Expo, and shake Clinton’s hand – and say thank you. He’ll be there somewhere – smiling. If you can’t make it to the Long Beach event, then go to the Chicago one in June.
Stay tuned.
Tim Bolen – Consumer Advocate