About 40 people gathered on the corner of Gaffey and 9th Street in San Pedro on Wednesday, September 2nd to show support of healthcare reform and to voice support for a public option as the best way to contain costs and maintain marketplace integrity.
The gathering was organized by Rachael, a local MoveOn member. She did a superlative job in organizing and directing the peaceful, but passionate group. We received nearly 'universal' approval from the rush hour passers-by, as we urged motorists to "Honk for HealthCare". There were healthcare workers, union members, and a wide cross-section of the community representing.
I briefly engaged in conversation by one brave man who claimed to be a libertarian. He said that he believed that all taxation is immoral. He beat a hasty retreat (literally) when I asked him if fire departments should be for profit.
The event was covered by the local newspaper, The Daily Breeze, who included a photo in their online story. They managed to misquote one of the signs, misreporting it as "Healthcare, not Welfare" when it actually read "Healthcare Not Warfare" I only point this out because it really changes the sentiment of the sign.
All in all, it was a lot of fun, and everyone who participated felt that their voice had been heard.