Social justice, economic equity, universal access to high quality and affordable health care and education are what I consider to be family values.
My family and I just got back from being part of the Physicians for a National Health Program NYC contingent at today's Occupy Wall Street march from Washington Square Park to Times Square.
It was my 8-year old son's first political rally and march; yeah Asher!
Once he finished his coconut pop he joined in the chants. It makes a mom and dad proud.
PNHP NY Metro (which I am active in) joined with the Montefiore Residency Programin Social Medicine(where my wife just happend to be faculty) which is where the "Doctors for the 99%" based out of. Together as one, we gathered, as part of OWS, at Washington Square Park at 1pm for a Teach-in and Speak-out on the need for single payer as part of real health reform, and then marched up 6th Avenue to Times Square.
This video show a small part of the health care workers contingent is along the march route on 6th Avenue at about 40th Street:
This video has some interviews with DrDan who is faculty in the social medicine program and some of the residents in training, and shows the scene on 46th Street just off Broadway and Times Square, just prior to when the police started their kettling:
When I was growing up as a straight white male in the 1960s-1970s, my dad (also a straight white male) always said that America was the most just and equitable place. A land of both social mobility and relative economic equity.
And in many ways it was that, for some, from the 1940s to early 1970s. But as we know, even as basic civil rights has expanded for so many, we have lost so much else to increasing corporate greed and selfish rich folks and corrupted politics.
I want an America and a world, that is better, that is a more just and more equitable place for my children and their children.
Those are my family values.
What are yours... Mayor Bloomberg? Governor Cuomo? President Obama? Speaker Boehner and Eric Cantor? Senators McConnell and Reid? Mitt Romney?
Peace & Health.
