A Real Proposal. National, organized Hunger Strike for Single Payer Health Care.

republicansarewhores

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Fri Nov-06-09 02:49 PM
Original message

A Real Proposal. National, organized Hunger Strike for Single Payer Health Care.

Edited on Fri Nov-06-09 03:37 PM by republicansarewhores

I�m weary of standing by, and watching our elected officials, the Democrats and Progressives we fought hard and voted or, refusing to represent us.

I�m tired of this administration and congress, putting corporatocracy before Democracy.

This is not the �hope and change� we raised money and campaigned for. This is not the �hope and change� that millions of Americans with illnesses or pre-existing conditions rallied around, hoping that the new majority filling the halls of Congress in Washington would finally advocate for.

Whether unintentional or cynically planned, we have been sold out once again by those we supported and voted for with this completely worthless health care �reform� that changes nothing for those in dire need of coverage and medical attention. This sham of a �plan� that is being presented won�t even go into effect until 2013.

We all know how many Americans will die by then because these elected representatives are not representing Americans, but instead looking out for the interests of the insurance, pharmaceutical and medical industries.

I have a radical idea, but it will not succeed without the commitment of other like-minded Americans who are tired of feeling that their voices, their efforts, and their votes are worthless when attempting to elect officials who promise one thing and then do another. There are lives at stake. Families. Futures.

President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, Senator Reid, et. al� shame on you. Shame on you all.

In an effort to effect change, when all else has failed, maybe the only thing left that Americans can do, is publicly demonstrate and shame our elected officials into doing what is right by the people, instead of the pharmaceutical, insurance and medical industries.

I am proposing a hunger strike for health care. A hunger strike for the single payer option. Start with what we demanded and wanted to begin with, no compromise.

When votes, and phone calls, and demonstrating, and letters, and calling in to news and radio shows do nothing to make our voices heard so that all Americans are afforded the same right to health care coverage every other industrialized country in the world affords their citizens, the only thing left to do is something radical. But not violently radical. We can show the media, this country and the rest of the world that there are many of us who are willing to put our own health and safety on the line and truly in the hands of the politicians who wouldn�t normally be bothered by the millions of American people dying for lack of adequate health care because they are faceless. We can put a face on this. Healthy Americans, willing to risk our health and our lives to effect change and hopefully, shame these politicians into drafting legislation that affords all Americans the kind of health care FDR proposed and would have put into legislation without playing footsie with the Republicans who tried to mount a coup against him, without compromising with real domestic enemies of the state. We hoped this President we elected would demonstrate the backbone of leadership FDR represented, but unfortunately, Mr. Obama has let us down. Whether it be because he really can�t tame the plutocratic, corporate monster that guides policy in this country, or whether he is a willing accomplice to it we may never know. But if he can�t do something about it, the rest of us must try.

It will require commitment. Public protesting and picketing. Petitions set up and delivered to the President and Congressional leaders where hunger strikers rally for the media�s attention to show that we are willing to sacrifice in this way and put a face on this crisis that Congress cannot ignore if we can FORCE the media to pay attention.

In organizing, we can select a place in every major city of the country that those of us who hunger strike for health care can make ourselves seen, and work at getting media attention for this cause the way other civil rights efforts helped put a regular daily face on a crisis that must not be compromised after so much ground has been gained by a president we hoped would do the right thing instead of wasting time on bi-partisanship that is naive in light of the Republican party's partisan and obstructionist nature.

After seeing protestors being arrested and carried out of Traitor Joe Lieberman�s offices on the news the other night, I became sick to my stomach. We can�t get these snakes to change without some kind of massive, unified effort, with something serious at stake that will truly get attention. I believe thousands of hunger strikers across the country, committed, could potentially tip the scales.

I have no idea how to organize this outside of proposing it and trying to create a grass roots effort to get others willing to be a part of this movement together, to gain traction, and to find out how to get the media�s attention so that it can hopefully make an impact.

Ghandi used this method to effect change. Suffragettes in the early 20th century used this method to gain equal rights. Political dissidents use this method to shame their captors and rally public and world support to their causes regarding human rights. Is a public option for health care no greater a need to benefit the millions of citizens in this country that it�s not worth attempting this method to effect the same kind of change?

South Carolina Senator (and A-HOLE) Jim DeMint (R) entered into a hunger strike in July, and vowed not eat again until President Obama�s health care proposal was defeated. Tea baggers can organize to try and bully real health care reform at town hall meetings. Reactionary seditionist Glenn Beck inspires thousands of 9/12 fruitcakes to organize beer hall meetings railing against President Obama as a fascist and a "Nazi" (the irony of their own beer hall / brownshirt style assemblies completely lost on them)...

I�ve seen a few people post videos on Youtube hunger striking for health care, but a few people scattered here and there are not enough. We need to mount as strong an effort for the real greater good, and use the media to help this effort to send the message.

I'm willing to do this, but it's going to require great numbers. Can we begin, organize and start a grass roots effort here?

Are there members here with media contacts that can help promote such a social stand?

Get Olberman, Schults, Maddow, Rhodes, Malloy, Hartman... all of them to cover this so it can gain traction?

RAW

NEW READERS PLEASE KICK AND RECOMMEND THIS SO IT STAYS HIGH AND WE CAN HOPEFULLY PUT THIS IDEA IN MOTION THE MORE PEOPLE CONTRIBUTE IDEAS SO WE CAN ORGANIZE...