An Open Letter to Congress: Help Me or I Will Die

[babylonsister]

An Open Letter to Congress: Help Me or I Will Die

by Donna Smith


WASHINGTON, DC ­­ - U.S. Representative Eric Massa of New York said this week that in the 86 days since he took office, he has received many letters from his constituents. Some are general letters supporting him or proposed legislation; some letters express disagreement with some of what Congress is working on. Other letters begin with the phrase, "Help me, or I might lose my house," Massa said. But at least once every other day, Congressman Massa reads the words, "Help me or I will die," as a constituent from his great state falls through the gaping holes in the healthcare system we have today.

Thirty-five letters in 86 days.

"Help me or I will die," we write to them in ever increasing numbers. Help me, we beg. And while Massa said he doesn't know how any Congressional member goes to sleep at night without thinking about these letters he knows all of his colleagues must get too, we know that many don't yet know what our reality looks like or certainly what it feels like. Or worse, they still just don't care.

Healthcare reform is a priority, they tell us. Health insurance mandates. Buy the product, they say, and you'll be OK. Buying insurance will mean everyone has healthcare, they seem to be trying to say. Yet over the course of more than half a century, more and more Americans are dying in a system more and more controlled by corporate greed.

"Help me or I will die," we keep writing. We keep pleading.

Some Congressional members are fighting for a different sort of system. They are fighting for a publicly financed, privately delivered system. But their fight is being squelched by those advocating for our forced participation - through mandates - in an expansion of the health insurance profiteering that has killed so many of our citizens already. And as the push for mandates deepens, the insurance CEOs will grow ever more fond of the members of Congress who will build their customer bases exponentially - and fatten their salaries and bonuses at exactly the same time 14,000 regular Jane's and Joe's every single day in America are losing their employer based healthcare benefits when they lose their jobs.

"Help me or I will die," we write in the insistent drumbeat of human suffering in America that is so far answered with caucus meetings and political calculations and lots of special attention to protecting the insurance industry and its profits.

more...

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/04/03-1

[condoleeza]

1. "they still just don't care"

and they won't until they are also unemployed and uninsured. Very sad state this country is in.

[babylonsister]

2. Yep, and it took a good long time to get this way, condoleeza. nt

[mother earth]

3. I am awestruck by what is taking place, and while everyone and

anyone watches...we have the handwriting on the wall and we watch in silence...or perhaps the handwriting is in the mail and the letter is in our hands...and yet we are silent observers. Time for health care to be available for everyone, and single payer health care...to hell with the money changers. We have placed profits over people.

The insurance companies and the republicorps be damned... It's so past time to wake up, life is in the balance.

[annabanana]

4. The President's OWN MOTHER was fighting with insurance companies

from her deathbed. How can they continue to deny us this very basic "public good & welfare"? No one should have to suffer & die for lack affordable healthcare.

It is such a national disgrace.

[SharonAnn]

6. We don't need health insurance. We need affordable access to health care. There are

many ways to deliver that. Private health insurance is one of them. Public health insurance is another.

Community clinics, subsidized or government run primary care clinics, etc. can also be components.

But remember the framing! It's not a matter that requiring that everyone get health insurance solves the problem. If they can't afford it, if it doesn't give them affordable access to care, if it's allowed to make up its own rules without oversight and price controls, then it doesn't solve the problem. It only enriches the health insurance company executives and stockholders.

Remember the concept of "Framing"? George Lakoff's work describes how important it is to "frame" the discussion.

I think we need to "frame" this discussion as everyone needs "affordable access to health care".

That's the problem. Solve it with whatever solutions or combinations of solutions will work.

But solve it!

[AnneD]

5. And frankly...most wish we would hurry up and die.....

As by the way they let a constituant loose their home but a banker keep his bonus.

[MasonJar]

7. John Kerry would have changed this. He said that Americans should

have the same insurance as Congress. How many times did we, the people, pay for Cheney to live? I say that Congress and the President and Vice President and all their families should have the same coverage as "the least of these thy people." Then we will see what kind of coverage the average Joe and Jill receive. How to accomplish this? Accept nothing less. This plan in Congress and from Obama still has private insurance companies profiting and still has individuals and their employer companies responsible. It does not work. Companies cannot compete with this added burden. It means continuous layoffs and job loss. This is an insurance company and pharmaceutical company bonanza, just like the bailout is a bank exec/investor and WALL STREET exec/investor bonanza, which we and our children and grandchildren fund, but which reaps us no benefits and reaks of big money contributions to politicians who ostensibly represent us, the people paying.