Protesters tell Charlie Rangle: Support Single Payer, get our asses covered!

[PHIMG]

Run time: 08:27 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz4JrUYHneg   Posted on YouTube: April 07, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: April 14, 2009 By DU Member: PHIMG Views on DU: 966

 
This week the Private Health Insurance Must Go! Coalition (PHIMG), including member organizations Healthcare-NOW!, and Act Up!, launched the “Not Covered” Campaign with overwhelming success.

Putting Bill Maher’s recent words into action, “Health insurance is like a hospital gown, chances are your ass isn’t covered,” bare-bottom protesters wore hospital gowns and dressed as Insurance Executives. The protesters jumped through hoops held by the insurance executives symbolizing the proverbial hoops that doctors, nurses, and patients have to go through in the current corporatized health insurance system.

PHIMG brought the Not Covered Campaign to Congressman Charles Rangel’s office, whose 2008 campaign received three times the amount of campaign contributions from health insurance and pharmaceutical companies as his last run in ‘04, while conveniently not cosponsoring HR 676 for single-payer health care, as he has in the past.

The group also had a list of demands including meeting with him, cosponsoring the bill, using his power as the Chair of the Ways and Means Committee to hold single-payer health care hearings, and including single-payer advocates - not just the health insurance corporations in the national health care dialog Obama’s administration is so open to having. Barack Obama also supported single-payer health care before his run for President made his campaign the top recipient of contributions from the health insurance and pharmaceutical industry.

The group received confirmation that Rangel does support HR 676, and just hasn’t signed on yet. Advocates and constituents look forward to a long sought meeting with Rangel’s staff next week.

The Not Covered Campaign will be in full swing all summer long calling out the Congresspersons that let campaign contributions stand in the way of providing all citizens with single-payer health care - one by one. It’s critical that citizens act now and push Congress to pass HR 676 before inadequate reform maintaining corporate interests over patients passes. Join the fight for single-payer health care now!

http://www.phimg.org

[vaberella]

1. It's weird seeing my neighborhood on television.

~sigh~

[MedioGringo]

2. Wow, way to ensure no one takes you seriously

This is why protesters aren't taken seriously in this country. They show up dressed in a bunny costume, wear false pig noses, cover themselves in fake blood and generally make themselves look like a bunch of hippy pot-head loons. I'm actually really pissed off at the health care situation in this country, but dressing up like it's Halloween doesn't lend ANY credibility to your cause. Actually, it makes things worse, because the single payer option is already considered a fringe idea by politicians, this proves their point. And I support the single payer option.

[angstlessk]

4. it is a way to get noticed..or did you not notice? sorry no boring

protest will be covered..it is a way to get attention...get it,.if there is no attention there is no protest!! Duh!

[MedioGringo]

8. So then Chris Matthews does a piece on the protest in the Hardball Sideshow

And pokes fun the protesters while ignoring the legitimacy of the issue. Or worse yet, Fox news or CNN covers it.

I just think it's hard to get people to take you seriously when you look ridiculous.

[PHIMG]

9. The worst part is being ignored.

And that's what's going on with Single Payer right now.

First they ignore you.
Then they ridicule you.
Then they fight you.
Then you win.

You'd just be content with being ignored apparently.

The Consevadems in D.C. are about to foist a huge healthcare fraud on the USA and the media is enabling it.

We have to breakout of the media blackout.

How do you suggest we do that? Or is it just better for you to spout off at the mouth.

What's your idea?

[MedioGringo]

10. Being able to ridicule you enables them to ignore you

Look, I'm trying to help. I'll come to a rally and protest in NYC, but I won't dress up in a silly costume. I have a hard time believing that a group of 200 angry protesters is any less visible than a group of 200 angry protesters in costumes.

You don't have to convince me single payer is the right way to go. You have to convince middle of the road people who might not know much about it, or who might be afraid of it, and who are likely to think it's a fringe idea since the MSM doesn't cover it. I'm afraid that when they see people dressed up in silly costumes, they're going to automatically pigeon hole you as a fringe movement, especially since they're already predisposed to do so. I would just hate to see that happen.

[PHIMG]

11. I think there is a term.

For your brand of concern. Can't think of it right now. I'm going to stop feeding you. Thanks for kicking my thread.

[PHIMG]

5. Well we'll see you at our next event, right?

And you can dress in a nice tasteful suit and see if people pay attention to you and take your fliers.

This tactic and this action was widely successful, people supported us and took our fliers.

And if you think that silly costumes turns politicians off to Single Payer then you might want to learn a little bit about the power of the insurance and drug industry and the millions they hand to the politicians.

I'm sorry but you are way off base.

[MedioGringo]

7. Just becasue they took your flier doen't mean they took you seriously

Does the drug industry show up at the White House wearing a fake ass? No, THEY wear suits and THEY wield all the power.

Don't get me wrong, I really do support your cause and I'd be glad to go to a fully-clothed event in NYC, but I think many people are going to see this and just focus and the silly costumes and ignore the message.

I think people are pissed off enough in this country about health care to listen to your message with simply a chant and a sign.

[fascisthunter]

6. nope.. wrong.

[pleah]

3. K&R