Below is video from last night's Countdown with Keith Olbermann show that featured clips from the march in New York City organized by Healthcare for 99% working group at OWS, PNHP, Healthcare-Now and others. It also has the interview by Keith of yours truly (oy, I gotta learn to not say "uhmm").
Our march started from Zuccotti Square, encircled the for-profit insurance company WellPoint at 1 Liberty Plaza, and then marched up Broadway. At its peak we were at least three blocks long, with estimates others tell me (I was at the front and could not see behind me since we were so packed) of over 1,000. There were separate meet-ups at the for-profit WellCare offices (110 5th Avenue; near Union Square) of about 100 people, and then ending at the site of the closed St. Vincent’s site, with about another 100 people there. I should note that this was completely peaceful rally and march, escorted courteously (in this instance) by the NYPD.
Healthcare segment starts at about the 0:34 second mark:
Doctors, Nurses and other healthcare workers support Occupy Wall Street because we want our patients to be healthy.
We support OWS because the private health insurance industry exemplifies the central complaint of the OWS movement: unchecked corporate greed threatens human needs.
We support OWS because economic and social inequalities make our patients sick.
We support OWS because we’re tired of being ashamed when we have to treat our patients differently based on the types of insurance they have and what kinds of treatments they can “afford.”
We support OWS because we believe in facts and evidence, and facts and evidence show us that a profit-driven health insurance industry is unhealthy for everyone except for CEOs and stockholders of those companies.
We support OWS because most of our legislators, held hostage by corporate money, consistently refuse to pass health policies that save lives and money, like single payer legislations.
We support OWS because the health care economy—like the overall economy—has more than sufficient resources to take care of everyone, but everyone is not taken care of due to the unfair siphoning of resources by profit-driven corporations.
We support OWS because we took the oath to do no harm, and our corrupt political and economic systems are doing all of us harm.
We support OWS because we are hopeful that we can change our society.
This second clip is local activist video showing the inspirational end of the march at the site of the closed St. Vincent's Hospital, featuring Katie Robbins of Healthcare-Now.
I will be at the Physicians for a National Health Program annual national meeting and leadership training in D.C. this Friday and Saturday. The theme is "Next Steps for Single Payer Advocates in the Obama Era".
Tell me in comments, what message should I bring to my colleagues?
Update: now with more flickr:
