Health Care Costs
Today’s Problem comes with a catch. This footage was taken at a Democratic primary debate among all the candidates. Watch, in turn, as each candidate speaks passionately to the need for universal coverage; surely our new President Barack Obama speaks even more eloquently, more brilliantly than any of his opponents.
But where does it go from there? Our government accepts the health care challenge as one of the biggest obstacles to an equal society. Each of the politicians in this video-Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama-are stars of their party. If anyone of us were in their position, it’s fair to assume, we would easily make social change happen. We would understand the existential threat of unavailable health care; we see it first hand, we live it every day.
The truth is, even the leaders we elect are bound within the framework of the political structure. Social change must always happen by swimming against the stream. We will never know how close we are to victory until victory arrives.
Today’s Action is meant to remind us of just how hard we must fight. The California OneCare plan would provide health care to all Californians for life. It centers around Senate Bill 840, and it is the fruit of massive organization on the part of residents of California, coordinated with congressmen and women who have taken up the struggle. The video featured today, from a health care rally in L.A., is meant to inspire all of us to see the power in activism, if we are unified in our message.
Any movement, no matter how big or small, must always rely upon the people who need it to succeed. We can not fake passion, fake the inspiration born of desperation that is sometimes an activists’ bread and butter. But, if we live our message…and with health care, we all truly live our message…then we will make it.
Today’s Artist: The U.H.C.F.
Today’s Artist isn’t a poet, or a writer. It’s an organization, based out of Connecticut, and their domain name (www.healthcare4every1.org) pretty much says it all.
The people behind the Universal Health Care Foundation understand that legislation doesn’t start with words on a page, but with an emotion in our minds. The first step to social change is to make people pay attention, and our allies in Connecticut went with some classic satire housed in a goofy animation to get you to hear their message while being entertained.
We don’t all have the budget to hire animators, voice actors…but we all have a voice. And we’re all pretty animated, if our friends get us talking, about the things that matter to us. So, pull out your phone (probably takes video, right?), work yourself up, shout out a call for social progress, for security, for healthy government…and send it our way. If it makes it to 99problems.org@gmail.com, we’ll put it online, and we’ll hit you up to hear your side of the story.
i think universal health care is a great idea. Europe has been doing this for a while and it seems to work.
The universal health care can benefit many that are in need of care that others who can afford it. It brings the definition of equal opportunity to democracy.