If It Isn’t Impossible To Do, It Isn’t Worth Doing

That’s my view of life and the work I have been given to do, and I offer it to my readers, friends, and change agents as a powerful mantra and context within which to develop the resolve you will need if you dare to change the world for good.

My advice might shorten the time in which you will achieve that experience of “making a difference” that many work for, but few actualize. I can honestly say, In reflecting on my experience and extracting the key moments of “Aha!” that I just might gift you with a formula that anyone can put to use. If you care to, of course.

Becoming an Unintended Activist

I have experienced life-changing instances in my life. The first came about by coincidences that impelled me in a particular direction. The second is coming about by clear intention. 

I consider myself a pretty lucky guy. I’ve wonderful health for my age (86) and stage (senior citizen), a lovely family and circle of friends, and still have most of my marbles. That’s a good base to start from, whatever the adventure.

Also helpful is that I am passionate both as an observer off the field and as a team player on the field. I am open-minded enough to entertain ideas and concepts that would never get past most people’s defense mechanisms. I have always been willing to listen and change my mind and path if the evidence so persuades.

So, be lucky (generally, out of your control) and stay open-minded (generally, in your control). Let me tell you how this became helpful.

In the Fall of 2011 I was out of town (NYC) on a family trip to southern Oregon (Medford), and I noticed some odd activity on the TV. A raggedy bunch of people had taken over Zuccotti Park and were calling themselves “Occupiers.” I found that interesting, even worth investigating.

The first morning after my return to NYC, I grabbed a pad, pen, and camera and caught the subway to Zuccotti. There, armed with the experience of once serving a four-year tour of duty as a Navy journalist, I went to work.

My intention was to simply chronicle the demonstrations. That took second place, once I listened to what was being said. There are wrongs in this world that need to be righted. 

The Occupiers made it clear that America’s students deserve and need free or affordable higher education and not be shackled by student loans. As citizen survivors of the banker-created Great Recession of 2019, they reminded us of their economic shell game by displaying signs saying “They got bailed out; we got sold out.” 

The message I heard the clearest, however, was that healthcare is a right, not a privilege as our healthcare monopolists are wont to preach. 

Occupy pointed out that America is the only major industrial nation that allows its citizens in the millions to go bankrupt simply because they fall ill or have been injured. Medical debt is unjust and unfair, and they demanded that it be abolished.

I resonated with that. After a 40-year career as an executive in the credit and collections industry, I knew what it was like to be on the creditor’s side of the phone; and could feel that desperation on the debtor’s end. 

So I listened to what was said. And I thought of what was said. And then I acted. I had walked into Occupy as a debt collector. I walked out of Occupy as a debt forgiver.

RIP Medical Debt

In January 2014, my collection industry friend and partner, Craig Antico, co-founded RIP Medical Debt (RIP) as a 501(c)(3) public charity. 

Naturally, every campaign needs a goal, so we decided that ours would be to forgive $1 BILLION in medical debt! It didn’t seem relevant to us that we didn’t have two nickels to rub together at that time. We ran up thousands of dollars in credit card and personal loans to keep the charity alive. For. Months. On. End. 

Abolishing one billion dollars in medical debt? Impossible.

Not so. As of this writing, the charity started on a shoestring has abolished over $10.1 billion in medical debt for over 7,000,000 Americans. And just getting started.

However, this could not have happened without two essential elements, without which RIP would never have come into existence: people became aware of us, and the story touched them. 

The first started with an unexpected invitation to be on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. The story angered and heartened them – that medical debt is bought and sold on an open market and that it can also be forgiven – resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in donations and hundreds of requests for information.

We never looked back.

What has this got to do with veterans?

It’s their turn to have a similar, impossible relief, and it’s going to be delivered through a second charity I have founded with friends and family called End Veteran Debt (EVD). 

Its impossible goal is to rid our veterans of $1 billion in predatory debt.

As before with RIP, that cannot be done by just one person. The online community Veteran Mission Possible (VMP) composed of veterans and supporters as entrepreneurs and “Solution Providers” will be the go-to team to see this mission through to its success.

Separately and together, VMP members will bring to America’s attention the dangerous and oppressive nature of Veteran debt in all its forms. A cancer that, as a social determinant, literally deprives our heroes not only of their mental health and well-being, but their very lives.

As reported in an article published on Veterans Day by investigative reporter Jared Bennett of Louisville Public Media, veterans and their families owe money on high-interest credit cards, to payday lenders, hocking their car titles, dealing with even the VA, itself.

Americas are unaware that the VA has in its files more than $6 Billion in unpaid medical debt currently sitting on the backs of our veterans. These represent bills incurred through the VA itself or by its refusal to pay healthcare claims run up externally from public hospital visits and ambulance services. 

This is EVD’s second goal – to motivate the VA to release this debt for full and complete forgiveness, no strings attached, no hoops through which to jump. Just gone! VMP has adopted this into a separate #EndVetMedDebt awareness campaign.

Will this require an act of Congress? No. Just an act of will. To be willing to change a policy that might stand in the way of this much-needed jubilee. Policies change over time. It’s time.

Now, is that impossible enough to be worth your attention?