On Saturday past, I received an "alert" from MoveOn.org. Normally, I don't pay much attention to MoveOn's seemingly daily "alerts", but this one called for a rally for health care on the steps of the capitol in Austin. As I'm new to Texas and really really really tired of spending my mornings talking to Texas congresscritter's staffers, I thought I'd go meet some Texas progressives. It took a three hour drive from Fort Worth, but I found some!
Pictures below the fold.
You'd think that organizing a health care rally in 3 or 4 days would end disastrously, with ten people showing up being claimed 'a success'. That was my thought when I first signed up to attend the "Emergency Rally for Health Care and Our Future". I figured even if the rally were a bust, hey, it's Austin... I could find a pub with some good music and a nice pint to finish off a lovely drive to the hill country.
By Monday night, the tally of RSVP's was 166, according to the organizer, and I began to get a bit excited. I wasn't that hyped by the theme of the rally, "Democrats Get A Backbone", but I was rather intrigued that a short-notice rally could get 166 RSVP's for a Tuesday afternoon rally. When I got there (about 20 minutes late...don't get me started on Texas roads or drivers), about 80 people where gathered at the southern steps of the capitol building.
Signs were plentiful, people enthusiastic, and cars honking as they drove by. I spent time waving my sign (which I don't have a picture of) and talking to others who had a wide variety of stories to tell. One lady, perhaps 55, had never been to any kind of rally before. Her husband is a Republican and she says that the health care issue has become so bad, even to him, that he won't even discuss it any more. She was there because of a friend who broke 2 fingers and eventually had to find donors to help fund her care. Two fingers set with no insurance cost more than $4000! She was also upset about these past weeks... the Supreme Court decision and the MA election.
There were no teabaggers there, although in Texas, one would anticipate a turnout. Prior to my arrival, there had been a Baptist minister who was giving the rally participants a bit of trouble. A guy finally convinced him he was in the wrong place by trying to intelligently engage him on why he felt health care reform was bad for Americans. The rally goer said that the minister kept muttering about the VA and how poorly soldiers are treated by 'socialized medicine'. FAIL! The rally goer was a veteran, the minister was not and either rationale or embarrassment drove the minister to abandon his discourse. Other rally goers cheered as he ambled off.
Whilst the rally did not last more than 90 minutes, the rally goers were enthusiastic and engaged. It was just the charge I need to re-energize my own rather run-down batteries. Hope you enjoy the pictures!