Growing ever-more tired of listening to the wingnuts and the misinformed prattle on about their twisted visions of healthcare reform? Well then, dagummit, make a little time this Saturday to get out of your comfort zone and show up to promote the real thing.
Here's the scoop on four important events that deserve the support of all Blue NC'ers:
HEALTH CARE CAN'T WAIT: Events Across North Carolina Coming Saturday, Aug. 29
On Saturday, Aug. 29, four events across North Carolina will send a strong pro-health care message. Here are the details and contact information for organizers of events in Raleigh, Asheville, Charlotte, and Greenville.
RALEIGH
Saturday, Aug. 29, from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
State Capitol Building in Raleigh
For more information please contact Debra Tyler-Horton: debra@ncjustice.org or 919.856.2169, or NC Fair Share: 1-866-302-0031
ASHEVILLE
Asheville Health Care Can't Wait Rally
Saturday, Aug. 29 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Pritchard Park on Patton Avenue, downtown Asheville
For more information, contact Leslie Boyd, (828) 243-6712.
CHARLOTTE
Healthcare Reform Educational Forum
Saturday, Aug. 29, from 3:30 p.m.-6 p.m.
Greater Mount Sinai Baptist Church 1243 West Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28208 3
Purpose: To inform, educate, and provide facts to the citizens of Charlotte about Healthcare Reform
Why: To alleviate fear amongst citizens by speaking the truth about Healthcare Reform
For more information, please contact Gautam Desai at (704) 779-9250 or gdnclt1@gmail.com
GREENVILLE
Health Care Can't Wait Rally
Saturday, Aug. 29, from 10 a.m.-11 a.m.
At the corner of Charles Blvd. and Greenville Blvd.
For more information, contact: Frank, 252.327.8843
For more information, check out the calendar section on the NC Policy Watch homepage.
Comments
Thanks for this
Exciting to see this organized push ... it'll be interesting to see the media yawn when no screamers show up.
Good work!
News & Observer Bias?
The article in the Sunday News & Observer says there were 350 pro-reform people at the rally and 60 anti-reform. These counts contradict my observations and pictures. I have pictures of the entire anti-reform gathering on the side walk across the street that show at most forty people (I count 32). I think the 500 count mentioned in another post is closer for the pro-reform count. How many people signed petitions and letters for representatives? More than the N&O count? That would be cool because then the anti-cabal could blame Acorn. :>)
After giving counts, The N&O diverges to talk about Richard Burr referring to the people at town halls as the calvary coming to the rescue. Was Richard Burr there? What does this have to do with the rally? Shouldn't the paper have talked to the director or AARP, the NAACP, the doctor, the minister or the mother of the handicapped child?
Nor did they ask him what he thinks of
the petition requesting that he surrender his own federal health care plan.
(Sorry, I'm a link lizard today.)
They're threatening to come...
Well, a few of the poor, misguided hostiles have called to say they'll be there so supporters should show up with their throats (and senses of humor) in good shape. Folks might even want to watch this little demonstration by Billionaires Against Reform to get in the proper spirit.
Score With Style Points
Be sure to wear something that upsets the trolls. Peace signs, Obama shirts, a colorful Hawaiian shirt or anything that shows a sense of community. I am trying to decide between my shirt with the Ghandi quote, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" or the one with the dance scene from Where The Wild Things Are.
Funny.
WTWTA would be perfect.
Trolls?
How do you expect to persuade people if you label them as "trolls"? This is why many conservatives are so distrustful of so-called "liberals". You do not see us as erring fellow citizens to be persuaded, but idiots, neanderthals, Etc. to be dismissed, discredited, and if needed, crushed.
Reminds me of the movie "Amadeus" in which the Emperor said simply "Mozart, you do NOT persuade". I would say the same to the extreme left dominating health care "reform" in the US. You are not interested is enlisting us in your cause, you want us to accept our role as drawers of water and hewers of wood for the people who REALLY count in your world view: leftist intellectuals.
"I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!" Barry Goldwater
Give peace a chance
Trolls. Leftist intellectuals. Why not focus on the underlying issue? You offer some good advice, you might consider taking it.
I personally have found almost no willingness on the right, especially here in North Carolina, to even pretend to be interested in collaboration. Not on environment issues. Not on schools. Not on anything.
I'm taking your offer to be "enlisted" seriously. What is your objection to a government-managed health plan? Do you really think insurance companies would go out of business? There will always be insurance.
What disappoints me is that the insurance companies haven't stepped in to solve the problems. Why aren't Blue Cross and United saying to America, "We can be your public option."
Why aren't they saying, "Here's the smart way to shift from a state-focused private model to a nationalized public model to make coverage universal, to shift resource to actual care and away from administration, to negotiate with providers, whatever?"
They all know it would be a great system. They're afraid of it because it would cost them money. Maybe America should just buy them and build in an earn-out bonus over the next 20 years to hit certain performance targets.
Your thoughts?
Trolls
It is hard to come up with a descriptor for the anti-reform movement. I was trying to be kind when I referred to the demographic group as trolls.
What would you prefer to be called? The town hall meeting interuptions, intimidation and boorish behaviour brings to mind more pointed categorizations.
Dismissing, discrediting and crushing? Are you reflecting inward? Read the post, it is about displaying a sense of communtiy, love of peace and projecting positively through the way people dress. It is a nice bonus that the people who disagree can be agitated by people expressing a desire for peace or support for the President of the United States.
I am honored to be labeled a leftist intellectual. I only have a batchelors degree and have never been published. In fact, I identify as a progressive, not a liberal. The term liberal has been villified and subtroverted to the point that it carries a negative connotation. I will accept leftist intellectual. I have a tremendous amount of respect for people like Robert Rubin and Paul Krugman.
I am not interested in persuading you or any other anti-reform individual. It is a futile exercise. I am interested in having my voice heard and helping our representatives and senators recognize that a clear majority wants health care insurance reform.
Lastly, the anti-reform rhetoric that has personalized health care insurance reform as anti-President Obama makes me think that much of the against crowd is either partisan no matter the issue or has some other issue. It is bizzarre that people express the desire to see the leader of the free world fail and will take up against him at every turn. A clear majority of voters choose Barack Obama as our President and one of the reasons is because he promised health care insurance reform.
That is how our democracy works.
hehehe
What's funny is that those are two mutually exclusive options.
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"The natural wage of labor is its product." -- Benjamin R. Tucker
A liberal is someone who thinks the system is broken and needs to be fixed, whereas a radical understands it’s working the way it’s supposed to.
You Have A Point
If your point is reference to the build up in Afganistan, I agree with you.
We are in a hell of a mess. It must be really tough to inherit a broken financial system, two wars, loss of international credibility and one of the least efficient health care systems in the industrialized world. I think it is time to change some things.
I support change.
I support change too.
Yea, I think that the Afghan occupation is one of many examples of Obama continuing an imperialist foreign policy.
You're absolutely right about the sorry state of the economy and other domestic issues as well.
That said, I feel no sympathy for Obama whatsoever. He voted right along side everyone else on some of the worst bills ever proposed in Congress, has stacked his administration with insiders and lobbyists, and has continued if not accelerated Bush's policies at home and abroad.
I agree that it does take time to change things, but the things that need to change first and foremost are our attitudes towards violence. A social system founded violent aggression cannot produce virtue.
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"The natural wage of labor is its product." -- Benjamin R. Tucker
A liberal is someone who thinks the system is broken and needs to be fixed, whereas a radical understands it’s working the way it’s supposed to.
OK....we should set an example of how to act.
Let's do it!
Remember to Bring Your Camera
It could come in handy.
SEC meeting this Sat.
in Charlotte. I don't know if it will be over in time to attend.
We were planning on the Farmers Market anyway
so why not make a stop just around the corner? I'm in.
North Carolina. Turning the South Blue!
Charlotte meeting
The Charlotte meeting is scheduled at an African American church. Charlotte's a blue city. It should be a peaceful and informative meeting.
I will be in Asheville on Sat
I hope to see other WNC progressive there as well.
I will be there......hoping for a civil and respectful rally!
Just curious, does anyone think some of the people that show up and yell at the town hall meetings will be at this rally?
I hope all of the progressive democrats will show how we can act civil and with respect.
"US Out Of Afghanistan!!" Bumperstrips @ Liberty Stickers
with the deficit being so big, and Bush/Obama having bailed out Wall Street, it doesnt seem as though we will have the tax dollars to provide universal health insurance to all Americans without some big-time reductions in military spending, right?
millions are still fuzzy on what the "public option" is
this so called "public option" has still not been adequately explained to the American people
Public option explained
It's true that the "public option" (or "public plan") needs to be explained again and again until people "get it." Part of the problem is that it's just such a wonkish term that it leaves people cold. George Lakoff argues persuasively that it should be called "The American Plan."
Whatever it's called, though, it's not that complicated. Here's a helpful two-pager from Families USA that explains the basic idea.
Distilled down to its essence, it would be a public health care plan (like Medicare) that would be available to the general public and that would act as a benficial suplement and competitor to the private market. It would help assure that everyone is covered and help bring the bad behaviors of the private insurance industry under control.
Remember the President's 'public option' promise from 2007
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has said that, under his health care proposal, all residents would have access to "health care that is as good as the health care that I have as a member of Congress."
Raleigh Rally was Great
What a beautiful morning. Great empassioned speakers! Well organized, the police treated me well. The line up of music, entertainment and speakers was balanced and interesting.
No big deal from the wingnuts.
I enjoyed myself and am pumped up to talk to my elected officials to ask them WHOSE interests do they represent?
TurnNCBlue
At least 500 were there
Billionaires Against Health Reform were great. I talked to quite a few small business people who have had it with the current for profit health insurance scam and are ready for a strong public option and maybe even single payer.
Asheville Rally
Very peaceful rally, no yelling or screaming, just a group of about 75 people, who cared about affordable health care for everyone. Wonderful diversity of people, all walks of life, and all ages. Heard enough medical horror stories to last a lifetime.
The organizer had signs for everyone who wanted one. The speakers were mostly ordinary folk but there were some very polished speakers.
During the rally it was warm, broken sun and a cool breeze. Unless something happened after I left it was a very good way to spend a late August morning.
Asheville was well organized and peaceful. Small group.
Ms. Boyd, the organizer, had a very sad, but true story. I wish there had been more people there, however. I feel we need to focus more on education about the public option...the families USA two page handout is good. (mentioned with link above).
If you attended a rally was there enough education about the public plan or option where you were?
I don't think anyone knows what it is.
and even if they do, it will change ... and it will not likely change for the better.
Newspaper reports and pictures of Health Care Reform Rally/towns
Yes, and reading the comments at the end of each newspaper article (Raleigh N&O, Asheville CT) lets you know just what a battle we face. Some comments are UNREAL.
I saw about 200 people in Asheville....and was surprized that most "seemed" to be over age 50.
Sen, Vitter's town hall
They are showing Sen. Vitter's town hall from Friday on C-Span this morning. He is ginning up the Coon-asses that elected him.
I wonder how many hookers the insurance lobby sent him.