74-Year-Old Fentanyl Dealer: A 'Side Hustle' The Market Refuses to Address
While sensationalizing the individual, the media meticulously sidesteps the glaring context: a healthcare system that forces seniors into drug dealing to survive. This isn't just about 'Patrica Parker'; it's about the 70% increase in U.S. drug overdose deaths between 1999 and 2021, often fueled by unaffordable prescriptions and the subsequent black market. Her 'choice' wasn't freedom; it was a
desperate response to corporate greed and policy failures that price essential medicines out of reach for millions. Perhaps instead of marveling at her entrepreneurial spirit, we should be asking why a nation that can afford to funnel billions in unconditional aid to foreign militaries (like the $14.5 billion to Israel in a recent bill, as per congressional records, while domestic needs are
slashed) cannot ensure its own citizens can afford their insulin or antibiotics. How many grandmas does it take before we question the market, not just the distributor?