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The November 21st Little Rock Free health Clinic set up operations on the floor of the Little Rock Convention Center.
I recorded the heroic volunteers the night of November 20th, as they prepared the 80,000 square foot exhibition center to receive Americans in desperate need of healthcare the following day.
As I wandered around and observed all the work, more than anything, I reflected on what it means to live in a country which treats healthcare as a privilege not a right. Here I was standing in the middle of a MASH tent in a major American city–this would undoubtedly be the last hope for many of the people we’d meet the next day.
When Remote Area Medical set up in Wise County Virginia, they treated American citizens in animal stalls. In Little Rock, Americans were treated with great care, compassion and dignity on the floor of a convention center.
This is from the interview CIGNA whistle blower Wendell Potter described gave to Bill Moyers.
Potter began his trip from health care spokesperson to reform advocate while back home in Tennessee. Potter attended a "health care expedition," a makeshift health clinic set up at a fairgrounds, and he tells Bill Moyers, "It was absolutely stunning. When I walked through the fairground gates, I saw hundreds of people lined up, in the rain. It was raining that day. Lined up, waiting to get care, in animal stalls. Animal stalls."
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07102009/profile.html
As Keith Olbermann said the other night, and this is a paraphrase, if members of the United States Senate didn’t have healthcare, they would have dealt with this national cataclysm many decades ago.
But at the end of the day, dear friends, we have only ourselves to blame because we continue to vote for people who allow this vast and cruel American calamity to continue unabated decade after decade.
16 Comments
Hey Eve, FYI.
David D wrote a post regarding the way that filibusters are log-jamming the legislative tasks of the nation.
I collected a few stats off the Wikipedia site (b/c it’s there, and simple), and you may find them helpful for POP.
Basically, the way that I see the numbers, the 4 Senators (Lincoln, Nelson, HolyJoe, Landrieu) threatening to filibuster represent a ‘whopping’ 4.06% of the US population (given the 2000 Census stats).
So basically, Ben Nelson — who represents 0.58% of the US population — can hold health care hostage for 308,000,000 people.
If the stats on that diary are useful, use ‘em!
I was horrified to see how much power the filibuster rules give to tiny, tiny minorities located in very small, rural states.
It’s surprising to see how many Progs (right here on FDL) actually support the filibuster. I can see some of their points. But from the Progressive side; it has done way more harm than good and should be jettisoned.
Eve thanks. Cut Representatives health care coverage until the 47 million who are not covered are covered. Now there is a rally in D.C.
During the Thanksgiving holiday I spent a bit of time debating the “public option” with a flower shop owner in Lonewolf Oklahoma. All of her talking points were right out of the Insurance Health scare tactics handbook. She was hiding her arrogant and elitist attitude behind a little cross around her neck too. O.K. I am prejudiced I grew up in the Catholic church where too many elitist and bigots were hanging out years ago. Folks who use their alleged Religious beliefs behind as a shield for elitism and bigotry.
Health Scare…have not heard that one before. Like it
I live in Wise County, Virginia, Congressman Rick Boucher ( VA-09 ) voted no on health care reform because he was more concerned about the survivability of the health care system than his constituents, see for yourself what is deemed, defended and supported in Boucher’s district as the acceptable standards of health care, and the allowance of hospitals to breed and spread hospital acquired infections into our communities.
http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=62
Clearly in Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee, profit care is more important than patient care.
I’m done, totally done, now, both with the electoral college and filibusters. Their only real “effect” is to allow inordinate power to tiny states with even tinier percentages of the population.
Recommended… now off to Twitter and Facebook.
The fact that a few Conservadems can hold up the passage of a health care bill is certainly an outrage; however, I would like to see a free health clinic in my state of Montana since Senator Baucus isn’t exactly helping to advance a good bill. (Unless you consider paying the MaxTax as a good thing) What I’m saying is: let’s promote free health clinics all over the country. It seems to me the only way to eventually get a universal health care bill. We may not get one this year, but I have to believe public opinion would eventually drown out big Pharma and health insurance money if we literally took the issue to the streets.
The so-called “representatives” of the people in each district who have to rely on these clinics should have to attend. The constituents should have a chance to speak to them. Boehner stated that he has not spoken to one person who wants the public option. Hard to find these people at the golf courses he hangs out at. It is a disgrace that the politicians are bought and paid for by industries, while taxpayers are left out in the cold. Representative is an oxymoron.
I can’t refuse to watch TV because I already did that in 1972 (oh, I do watch some golf, some C-SPAN, and the occasional Presidential Inaugurations); I voted for Ralph Nader in 1996 and 2000; I give hundreds of dollars to Firedoglake when I’m asked. I didn’t vote in the 2008 Presidential Election after the primary campaign because I’ve become a Conscientious Objector: my vote is too important to me to throw away is how I feel; but in my bones I know it can’t matter until there are candidates and their political representation worth following and supporting. I mean, I could rally behind someone like Amy Klobuchar, Dennis Kucinich, and Russell Feingold but not as long as they’re part of the problem.
May be. but will never happen because they decide what they get not us.
It’s amazing that people still think some of them have us as their prime interests.
Welcome to the real world. Seriously, your vote is too important to waste, so you don’t vote at all? That makes no sense, politics has always been and will always be about the lesser of two evils. You voted for Nader, and you got Bush…
I don’t vote for
They either get elected anyway or they lie about their position on healthcare.
We do not have only ourselves to blame, at least those within the reach of your words don’t.
Nor do we have ourselves to blame for the war in Iraq or for the US military torturing prisoners of war or for the monstrous deficit.
We haven’t figured out how to mobilize enough people in the current economic and media environment to get done what needs to be done.
But the “we only have ourselves to blame” is nonsense except in the broadest and most meaningless senses of all 330 million Americans.
The Democratic Caucus should clearly and directly state that there will be consequences for the four Senators who think they can hold the majority hostage on health care. I have already stopped contributing to DSCC and the party and have told fundraisers that I will not be contributing now or any time in the foreseeable future because I don’t want my contributions supporting any candidates who don’t support the party’s priorities as stated in the platform that came out of the last national convention. Fund-raising notwithstanding, actions have consequences and it is reasonable to expect the following immediately after any member of the caucus votes against majority of the caucus on procedural votes:
1. Strip leadership roles for all committees, subcommittees, etc. Consider extending to non-leadership assignments on key committees.
2. Forfeiture of financial support for re-election.
3. Direct financial and other support for challenger(s) in the next primary.
4. Suspension of other privileges as appropriate.
While I don’t agree with the position they are advocating, they are ultimately accountable to their constituents and they are entitled to speak their lies and vote their conscience just like rest. However, they are not entitled to prevent others from doing the same.
Thanks tea leaves, that’s a great resource.
1000% correct wayne, when is Reid going to do this?
Most of them are rich and all of the Senators are millionaires so cutting thier coverage will not effect them. Firing them will.
I voted for Nader in Pennsylvania where Gore was way ahead; I wanted Nader to reach the 5% threshold. Your insinuation cuts another way since, had Gore been inaugurated, Vice President Lieberman would have been the Heir Apparent. What else you got?