Shuck and Jive


Monday, September 21, 2009

Let's Hit the Streets for Healthcare!

Get the word out! Support health care reform by joining us tomorrow! Here is the story from Randall Smythe:

National Day of Action

Tuesday, September 22 is the National Day of Action for Health Care Reform.

The message we need to send is "If insurance companies win, you lose."

We need a large group of supporters to come to the corner of West Market and State of Franklin between 4:00 and 6:00 on Tuesday. This is the intersection adjacent to the Johnson City Medical Center.

Bring a home-made sign with your message. We really need to show strength in numbers, so get the word out and let's have a good show.

Please let me know your plans to attend. Also let me know if you know of anyone else that is coming. This is a visibility event and we need to make sure we are visible. Between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm this intersection is one of the busiest in Northeast TN. The Med Center, VA, and ETSU traffic is heavy. You can park in the Food City parking lot.

See you there!!!

13 comments:

  1. It seems like if you support health care reform than the insurance companies will win. Can I come with a sign that says, "Reward the insurance industry-support health care reform" ?

    I'm such a pessimist when it comes to having faith in our government to actually go in favor of the little guy.

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  2. Rachel,

    Love ya, but spent any time on planet Earth, recently? Health care reform (ie. single payer or public option or medicare for all) is not in the interests of health insurance corporations. But it is most definitely in the interest of basic human decency.

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  3. Hi John,

    Is that why health insurance agencies such as AARP create websites and organize reform efforts such as seen here and pay hundreds of millions lobbying in Washington in support of health care reform?

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  4. AARP is not a health insurance agency, Rachel. They are a lobbying group, and a powerful one, but they are not an insurance agency.

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  5. Thanks Snad, I learned something new today. Would you say AARP is like the middleman in obtaining insurance for people over 50? That's kind of hilarious if you think about. Not only do you have the insurance company acting as a middleman between a patient and his or her physician, but now you have a middle-middleman. I grabbed this interesting piece of info off of Wikipedia: "AARP's total revenue for 2006 was approximately $1 billion and it spent $23 million on lobbying." source

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  6. Rachel -

    Your bitterness at life is palpable through the interwebs. I hope you find whatever it is that will make you happy. Whatever it is, I don't think you are going to find it here.

    Good luck!

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  7. Snad,John,

    Why are you implying that I am bitter at life or sick? I am simply on a learning quest. I chat here because you two hold views that are different from mine. I believe this to be the best way to learn. If it is too much for you to carry on a conversation with me then leave it at that. But, please don't imply that I am bitter or 'sick'. Thanks for letting me know that you do not want to carry on this debate on health care reform anymore.

    I simply wanted to know why you guys support the same ideals as big industry when you say you are against them?

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  8. We don't think you're bitter or sick, Rachel. We think you are great. We disagree on this.

    BTW, just got back. Great turnout with over 36 and horns honking and lots of traffic and people responding positively (mostly!)

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  9. Birthers, deathers and other radicals insist that we engage them in conversation to discuss their delusions. It's a favorite tactic, and it's pretty much a waste of time and energy. It best to move on, as in:
    http://pol.moveon.org/insurance_execs/?id=17291-17279353-fdceybx&t=2

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  10. Your link is not working...The only delusion that I see is that you guys believe that the insurance industry won't get their way.

    I suppose it is pointless to post here since there is a total lack of reason and rational debate in this forum, similar to American political discourse.

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  11. Click here for that link you couldn't find. Pretty darn funny!

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  12. That is a funny video, and I'm against the unfair monopolies that the government provides insurance companies. That is why I'm for getting the government out of health care all together. I don't have any faith that the government will fix health care in the way that you and I hope (i.e. affordable healthcare for all).

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  13. Yeah, Rachel. I can see why you'd feel that way. After all, what has the government done for us, lately? http://www.governmentisgood.com/articles.php?aid=1

    Now understand this: I am not an apologist for government. There is plenty that is done wrong. We should be so lucky to have Ralph Nader as president. But, to suggest that government does nothing but bungle everything is naive, and it is wrong.

    Now, I'm not going to get into any more with you Rachel, because frankly, I think you are a stomach ache on two legs. Disagree all you want, but quit telling me (in so many words) that I am stupid, that I am a shill for the insurance industry, or that I am a shill for government. I want the government to work for everyone, and I want health care foe everyone. I may not get either of those, but dammit I am not going to stop trying.

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