I am fed up to here with the status of our health care. And what I am ticked off about the most is that my employer takes money from my salary (and calls it a "benefit"). I have no choice, and no say in either my plan or my care. Literally; I was offered one plan and had to take it. This plan is worth $12,000 a year. Times are tough; I could use that money. This is more than I pay in federal taxes. I have to pay the monthly premium, or rather my employer gives this money to a health insurance corporation. The money never goes directly to me, but straight to a corporation. Sounds like a tax to me. Funny, I thought only the government was supposed to take my money from me for the purposes of providing a service. And what's that old American saying? Ah, yes.
No taxation without representation!
So now that I hopefully have your attention, it is time for us to ORGANIZE. I am sick of these blood sucking leeches taking my money, and not actually providing me with health care. ENOUGH.
We deserve health care in this nation. Every citizen has a right to LIFE. Period. In denying citizens a public health care option, we are denying Americans their fundamental right to life. The purpose of a government is to protect its citizens. If a government fails to protect its citizens, it is failing in its most basic duty. Every person that does not have access to health care if a failure of our government. We, the citizens of the United States of America, deserve better. We live in a democracy. That means that we are the government. So let's ORGANIZE .
We have been ineffective because we have been utilizing tools and methods from the 1950-1960s. We need to update methods here, and revamp old standards.
Here's what we need:
- Teach ins/health ins at very visible places. With tents for doctors, nurses, med students, and physician's assistants to give free medical advice. Best place: public parks. Next best place: shut down streets and freeways. Let's think big, people! I'm in Boston. Let's do this at Boston Common, and in front of the State House. Let's sit on the Mass Ave, BU, and Longfellow Bridges. NYC: take over Central Park and Times Square. LA: Hollywood Boulevard and Santa Monica. While we're at it, take over the 405 during rush hour. (Cars aren't moving anyway. Meet at 10 in the pass between Downtown and the Valley.) Chicago: Magnificent Mile (let's annoy rich folks and tourists) and Lincoln Park. San Francisco: Embarcadero, Market, Pier 39 (just to annoy the tourists), and the Castro. I don't know enough about other cities to recommend places. AND LET'S DO THIS ALL AT ONCE. Wearing black scarves (see color movement, below). Time: Next Saturday and Sunday, 8/15-16. Day long event. This weekend is too short notice, and we won't be able to get people. Doctors, bring your prescription pads.
- We need billboards and other large, visible ads. If we can't afford them, let's take over the public graffiti walls that most cities have, and paint for health care. Anyone in LA? Go to Venice Beach and ask for a permit to paint on the beach graffiti wall. Any talented artists out there that can get us some images? If we could get Obama's face in red and blue everywhere, we can damn well get signs for real health care.
- Petitions. I am not talented at writing such things. Who can write a single petition that we can sign, and, even better, virally distribute and post it on petition2congress.com ? I haven't gotten a pro-public insurance e-mail yet, which means any petition's not viral. Why? Who can create a manifesto for us, that is in small, easily digestible bits? (My ADHD peers need to be able to read it.) And post the petition here everyday. And spam government officials, and health insurance CEOs, with it. E-mail addresses? Let's get e-mail addresses for public servants (ie: members of Congress) and insurance/Big Pharma CEOs and spam them. Let's get Bill and Chelsea Clinton to work on this; they were spamming my inbox until a couple of months ago. Not good enough? President Carter, or VP Gore.
- Rallies and uber-large benefit shows. Public "protests" don't bring in numbers. It's the name; my generation gets annoyed by protests, and by the annoying do-gooders asking if I have a minute for the environment. (I do, but not for you.) We need rallies and benefit shows, and we need them with big name celebrities. Eff politicians; we need Beyonce and Green Day. Will Smith and Angelina Jolie. Susan Sarandon and George Clooney. And some older people as well. Angelina works for refugees, can't she help Americans, too? Anyone know how to contact them? Seriously, all we've got is Teddy Kennedy? We need STAR POWER. Benefit show here. If BET could change the BET awards to honor Michael Jackson, we could get a few to do a show for public insurance. Start with music, then move to comedy. (Added benefit: all proceeds go to buying back our politicians. But only if we can return them with a receipt.) Keith Olbermann's a member. Keith, got any contacts here? Let's get the tabloids filled with celebrities wearing pro-public insurance tee shirts.
- Protest effectively. I know I said protest won't work. But we can protest effectively, as long as we target the right market. I'm talking of picket lines in front of health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and their lobbyists. And do it with a police permit. The signs: s: NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION. AT LEAST THE IRS GIVES REFUNDS. Who can find addresses? Be loud, annoying, and get on the news.
- Press releases. Send them out to any and all media before any action! What good is all this organizing if others don't know we're doing it?
- Color campaign. I'm choosing black, to represent all Americans that have died from lack of health care. Ribbon pins are passe. Let's use neck scarves, or better yet, actual ribbons in our hair. Or black bracelets and anklets, to represent being shackled to a crappy system. Velvet Revolution anyone?
- The internet. We all have it. Use it! Change facebook icons away from your lame personal picture and into a real message. Twitter! If Iranians can do it, so can we. Who knows the app to tint your photo a color? Let's tint them black. (See color campaign above.) And again, where's the viral e-mail message? If I can get the same message about a very cute kittie, why can't we do the same for health care?
- TV and internet Ads. We can all contribute at least a dollar. So let's buy ad time on Fox News and their website. CNN viewers already knows we need change. Target Fox News demographics. Who can start this? We need a polished ad. With lots of sick, yet insured, people. And a popular celebrity.
- You tube. Take it over with one viral video. And post this video everywhere. Prisoners in the Philippines performing Thriller did it. So can we. And let's get a celebrity to help. I'm sure at least one popular, and hot, person is for public health care.
- Town hall meetings with web cameras. So that everyone can actually participate. Invite the local politicians to this, and tell them that we'll change it to a rally for an opposing candidate if they don't show. Do these all on the same day, preferably a Saturday or Sunday so people can actually come without missing work. Let's target for late August/early September.
- Let's get on the Daily Show or the Colbert Report! Why, you ask? Why not, I ask!
- An actual good bill with a real public health care option. None of this pansy-assed have-to-have-private-insurance crap. I want what Congress and the President have. If it's good enough for Obama, it's good enough for me. How do we pay for it? Well, if private insurance companies stopped taxing me, maybe I'd have more money to give to the public health plan! Oh, and let's tax all those bankers. I hear they recently got a few billion dollars in bonuses. Let's tax them. Their wealth was supposed to trickle down. I don't know about you, but that trickle has a yellow tint.
I am dead serious about this. Post below with dates, times, locations, and how you can help. ENOUGH.