BellaOnline Forums News and Politics Democratic Party President's Health Care Speech

I'm so sorry, Phyllis. You are among millions who will be affected by the rising costs of health care in the American system. I am stunned by the way our government treats the ill in this country. And the saddest part is, it doesn't have to be this way - and it isn't this way in any other industrialized nation. Only here.

Michael Moore is the ears and voice of the people. He spends an enormous amount of time preparing documentaries that expose the underbelly of our nation - things our government doesn't want us to know about. And it is sad. Native Americans aren't the only peoples who are treated horribly. Phyllis, we all are. If you only watch one Michael Moore documentary, please watch Sicko. Then speak seriously with Joanna, BellaOnlines British Television Editor about how true it is.

You can watch Sicko (just click on the link - it may take a minute to buffer, and you may need to nudge the arrow to get it going)for free online. You won't be sorry that you did, your awareness of world health care will expand beyond what you thought possible. I'm blown away by it.

Love and Light,
Shannon

Thanks for the info on Michael Moore, Susan and Shannon. I will look into his biography, accomplishments, etc., before I form any opinions on his character. I guess the people I heard from about him have their own opinions based on their own POV. All I have heard about him is that he is a "s..t kicker". So - I will have to do my own research and form my own opinion.

Sounds good, Phyllis!

Hello, everyone.

I was away working for Healthcare for America Now in Pennsylvania on Friday and Saturday, and I was visiting a friend in New York yesterday. When I finally got the time to check this thread, I was amazed, thrilled, and proud to see how much you all have advanced it and participated.

Shannon: You were born to be a moderator. Thanks for ll your insights and beautifully written comments.

Susan, horses: Thanks for your to-the-point information and opinions. You're a real asset to this forum.

Joanna: Thank goodness for you and your wise, no-nonsense British perspective. You bring us so much!

Nicki: Welcome, and thank you for your intelligent viewpoint.

Phyllis: I hope you come to appreciate Michael Moore. If you don't, well, that's okay, too. As for your medical concerns,I feel very helpless: I want to do more than express my sympathy. While working with Healthcare for America Now this weekend, I heard many stories like yours. Somehow, we have to fix this thing. I don't know what else to say.

Cindy: Your creative, sensible ideas and suggestions are very, very good. Probably, presenting them to your reps. is useless, sad to say. But an activist food group might really appreciate them and give them the consideration they deserve. Here is a site you might find interesting: http://www.stophfcs.com/.

Thank you all for making this forum, and especially this thread, such a worthwhile destination at a BellaOnline.com.

Susan

Would love to hear about your weekend - anything new to report?

I would love to talk about my weekend. I helped work the HCAN table at the Bloomsburg Fair in Bloomsburg, PA. Huge country fair: zillions of food vendors; tables selling T-shirts, jewelry, you-name-it; dog shows, rabbits, chickens; the whole enchilada.

Most of my interactions were positive: a woman with a grown daughter on SSI having lots of trouble dealing with insurance; a 50-year-old woman who just got turned down for insurance because she has mild high blood pressure, arthritis, and -- get this -- a bunion; a man who served six years in the military and says he can't get insurance.

On the other side, I had a woman come up, look at the petition we were asking people to sign, and say "Do you have a petition for people who are against it?" I asked her if she had a problem with the public option, and she said, "I have a problem with President Obama."

Speaking of the president, there was an anti-Obama/religious table selling religious T-shirts ("Jesus is my lifeguard") and anti-Obama shirts, buttons, and bumper stickers. Some of the repulsive highlights: Obama as Heath Ledger's Joker with the tagline "Why so socialist?"; three-dollar bills showing Obama in a sheik's headdress; a T-shirt with a picture of Bush and the line "Miss me yet"; a shirt saying "A village in Kenya is missing its idiot"; bumper stickers reading "I'll keep my freedom, guns, and money -- you can keep the change."

When I got home I researched Bloomsburg on city-data.com and found out the town is 93% white and 2% black. The nearest city, Scranton, is also 2% black. About 27% of Bloomsburg's citizens have a college degree. The main occupation for males is manual labor, for females, waitress work. And the unemployment rate is 11%. So, it's a clear case of "What's the Matter With Kansas?" -- people acting against their own personal interest.

I think we are living in a very transformational time. A new progressive era must occur, but how long it takes to happen and what will happen before it does are unknown to us at the moment.

It all comes down to "do we go forward or do we go backward?" I think.

Thanks for asking about my weekend.
Susan