Guaranteed Healthcare

By Donna Smith, American SiCKO, communications specialist CNA/NNOC 

By Donna Smith, American SiCKO, communications specialist for CNA/NNOC 

It takes courage to stand up to the people who make money off the suffering of others when those same people bring loads of money and influence to every table they buy.

But there still are some courageous Americans -- and even some courageous Americans who are also elected officials.  Today in protest actions across the United States, citizens will stand side-by-side with some of those brave warriors of the people as we protest the private health insurance industry and its stranglehold on the American healthcare system.

From San Francisco to Louisville and from Philadelphia to San Antonio and in a dozen other cities, patients, nurses, doctors, activists, writers, lawyers, students, senior citizens, veterans, and politicians with guts will gather in solidarity against the inhumanity that places profits above human life and masquerades itself as protection against calamity -- and that imposter is the private health insurance industry. 

A city attorney from Los Angeles, a mayor from San Francisco, a state senator from Pittsburgh, a state representative from Chicago and other amazing truth-telling public officials stand unafraid to proclaim:  healthcare is a basic human right.

By Donna Smith, American SiCKO, communications specialist CNA/NNOC

What a great night of political speeches.  And it was wonderful to hear both the now-presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama, and the presumed runner-up Senator Hillary Clinton cite healthcare as a major concern. (Whew, the titles alone require hip-boots for wading.)

But we need a little retooling...  Both said every American should have health insurance.  Wrong.  Every American should have health care.

The presumptive Republican nominee Senator John McCain has a more outwardly obvious, pro-corporation healthcare strategy.  He wants to make sure he keeps the old insurance giants thriving.

But what did Barack Obama say there towards the end of his speech?  That we'll look back on this moment as the turning point?  That we'll see this moment as the time and place in which we made sure every American had healthcare.  Right on, Senator Obama.  But now we're going to help you see what real change looks like for every American: single payer, universal health care. Everybody in, nobody out. This is the moment.

Families making tough decisions about babies and birthing and living the American dream as the for-profit healthcare system gobbles up personal choice and freedom.