Political Advocacy for Beginners: Lumping

In order to represent we the people, the people have to be put into boxes. As lobbyists and politicians hammer out issues and how to turn them into policies, generalities must be made. People are put in to categories and decisions are made based on what seems best for that particular "demographic." This poses many challenges for those making the laws, not least of which is how to break down the demographics into a manageable number of boxes. With such a large number of people being represented, there are many,many boxes. This, however, does not change the fact that these boxes may be too large.

In the time I was observing the senate, I witnessed several glaring cases of what I have labeled as "lumping." One discussion involved the rights of pharmacists to dispense, or not dispense, needles. The argument was being debated about "needle users," referring to both illegal drug users and diabetics. We had been lumped by our need and our activity with no consideration as to the purpose of the needle use.

It is important for healthcare advocates to understand lumping. While it is understandable that there can not be boxes for every person and every circumstance, this method should be monitored and noted. While some of the issues facing those with mental illness and drug addition may have some overlap, do they have enough overlap to lump them together? From an experiential perspective, the answer is "no" but they are often seen as the same for the purpose of policy-making. Similarly, those with chronic illness are lumped together with geriatric individuals and those who are blind and deaf are lumped in with the chronically ill.

Looking at these demographics from a purely procedural perspective, these lumpings might make sense. Looking at the actual experience, however, there are some significant differences. These differences make this demographic lumping cause for concern. While, as a chronically ill person, I may have some of the same long-term needs as someone with advanced age, I also have a higher investment in recovery and being active. If policies are developed with geriatric people in mind, how much focus is going to be put into integrating into the work force and other avenues for productivity? We face different issues, have different goals, and need different kinds of care. Lumping can be dangerous for those with chronic illness living by the rules set for those with advanced age.

Lumping is an inevitable part of the political process. Lines have to be drawn somewhere to represent large groups of people. If those groups are not paying attention, this inevitability can negatively impact lives. It is essential that political activists keep an eye out for how the boxes are being organized. If you are about to be negatively impacted by lumping, that is the time to use your voice and help the policy-makers see why the categorization is inaccurate and detrimental to a whole group of individuals. While it may seem obvious to you, this distinction may not be obvious to them. Remember, they are seeing this from a policy perspective. It is your job to help them see it from the real-life perspective.