Last night at the Mayan theater was a special sneak preview of Michael Moore's new health care documentary SiCKO. This evening, a rally and press conference were held on the west capitol steps organized by Progress Now. Those with interesting signs and or costumes were invited to an extra screening of the film held later in the evening. The full film release is scheduled for next Friday, June 29th.
I used to think there was no easy solution to fixing our broken health care system. After seeing this film and meeting one of the folks in the film, Donna Smith (she and her husband had to file bankruptcy and move in with her daughter due to bills their health insurance wouldn't cover) it's clear to me the only solution is a national health care plan that covers all Americans. Moore put it best during the press conference: the police don't make decisions on who to help based upon bottom line. They're not going to say, "I'm sorry, I don't think we can help you out as the risk to come to your neighborhood is too high." The fire department isn't run as a for profit business either. So, why is something so fundamental to society as healthcare coverage allowed to operate for profit? I'm no pinko, commie, liberal. I'm not saying folks shouldn't be able to make a buck or two (or a billion) but not on the graves of Americans. Spoiler alert: There was a point in the movie where a doctor was interviewed who analyzed claims for approval or rejection. The doctor with the most rejections was given a bonus for the year. She was told this was okay as they weren't denying care, they were simply denying payment. Ahh, moral relativism.
The attacks are already coming against Moore and this movie, often from those who haven't seen it and have no intention to do so. I asked his opinion on that, the ad hominem attacks, never on the substance of his films. He didn't really have an answer. He said that 20% of this nation will never come around. "However there is a big middle ground of voters who are simply misinformed." Moore continued that they're the same folks who believed their commander in chief when they were told Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction. They believed what they were told as it was hard to fathom at the time a president would lie to take us into war.
So, that's it, if we really do care about American's lives, if we're pro-life we really need to mean it. A single payer plan simply allows one corporation to have a monopoly on health care coverage. Let me remind you of the robber barons at the turn of the century in asking if that's what we really want. Many are still going to swayed by scary words like socialized medicine. Well, really what's so bad about it? Would you rather have a system run by the government offering care to all, or the current system where many have no health care coverage and the many others that do find it's often completely inadequate when they actually have to use it. Really, what price do we put on human life?
As for the comparison to the health care systems in Canada, France, and Great Britain, would it really be such a bad thing if you had to wait a week to see a doctor for something minor if that means everyone and I mean everyone with life threatening injuries gets seen as needed? Heck, I already have to wait at least a week for doctor appointments as it is.
If you catch any of the traditional media coverage of this event they will likely include a few lines about a heckler in attendance. Moore had quite the fun time with him. But this wasn't the brown shirted pro-insurance lobbyist one might think. He was more likely a local capitol hill resident who enjoyed a few too many frosty beverages as he later had several animated exchanges with a few trash cans a block away from the capitol steps.
Another rabble rouser which would have Steven Colbert quite nervous were the attacking communist bears for socialized medicine. Here's one that attacked me:
Another attendee of the rally clearly needed better healthcare as his buttocks transplant clearly went horribly wrong:
More signs:
Cross-posted at SquareState.net