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Health Care Rally w/Michael Moore in Denver

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babylonsister Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jun-25-07 06:57 AM
Original message
Health Care Rally w/Michael Moore in Denver
Edited on Mon Jun-25-07 07:32 AM by babylonsister
 
Run time: 03:29
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVKYAf-HCzg
 
Posted on YouTube: June 25, 2007
By YouTube Member:
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Posted on DU: June 25, 2007
By DU Member: babylonsister
Views on DU: 838
 
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/8297

Rallying with Michael Moore for Health Care in Colorado
by David Sirota

As part of Denver's Screening Liberally lineup, my wife and I went to see an advanced screening of Sicko last night, and were really blown away. None of the movie was surprising to anyone who has studied the dysfunction that is the American health care system, but it was nonetheless perfectly made - a mix of dark humor and tragedy that lived up to the "I laughed, I cried" cliche of the modern day movie reviewer. Then, tonight, I attended a big health care rally at the Colorado Capitol with Michael Moore. You can watch some video excerpts I got of Moore's speech here on YouTube.

What I found most profound about the film was not the details about other countries' health care systems in comparison to our own, but Moore's very subtle point about how our health care system's problems - and middle class economic oppression generally - serves to depoliticize the public. A population that must constantly worry about affording medical care, managing personal debt, and keeping a job for fear of losing health coverage/expanding that debt is a population that has an incentive to keep quiet and never challenge the status quo for fear of risking economic catastrophe. If you know, for instance, that asking for better wages may get you fired and thus terminated from your health coverage, then you are going to think twice about making the ask and standing up for yourself in the first place. Put another way, for the Establishment, keeping the majority of the population under economic pressure serves the dual objective of siphoning more wealth to the top and undermining political activism that might change things.

I had the good fortune of being able to spend a day with Michael back about 6 years ago when he was doing his television show, TV Nation. He came to Capitol Hill to film a segment where he would be confronting lawmakers who hadn't had a reelection opponent and telling them he was running a plant against them (it was a fica tree, if I remember correctly). The Capitol police tried to throw him out of the building because he didn't have approval to film in the halls from any Member of Congress. He and his crew bolted over to then-Rep. Bernie Sanders' (I-VT) office to ask for help, and Bernie called off the police, and sent me with Michael to help point out the lawmakers he was looking for to interview. During that day, I met one of the rarest forms of people in politics - a guy who is really selflessly committed to the issues. Though Michael's appearances in his own documentaries may strike some as conceited, it's clear he does this because his personal narratives helps humanize often unfathomably large issues for the viewing audience - and Sicko was no exception.

Moore touched on much of this in his speech tonight at the Capitol in downtown Denver. His remarks were a call to action, telling us to do whatever we can do to put this issue front and center. It's time for America to reject the sickos in the American media and political Establishment who have worked to make health care a special privilege just for those who can afford it, rather than a basic right of citizenship in the wealthiest country in human history.
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BleedingHeartPatriot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jun-25-07 07:09 AM
Response to Original message
1. Good morning, babylonsister. I had the great good fortune to be there yesterday. K & R.
Moore is a terrific speaker. MKJ

:kick:
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babylonsister Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jun-25-07 07:10 AM
Response to Reply #1
2. Good morning! He DID sound fired up! Lucky you! I hope to see the
movie next weekend with my dad. Can't wait!
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lovuian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jun-25-07 08:02 AM
Response to Original message
3. Moore will show Americans that Healthcare is the issue
of our generation where social security was our parents our legacy to our children
is healthcare for all

it will be the Republican nightmare
They wanted to destroy social security and while on their watch Healthcare for all will be achieved

its a amazing how the higher powers
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lovuian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jun-25-07 08:09 AM
Response to Original message
4. Thanks so much Babylon sister its Awesome
its coming
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babylonsister Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jun-25-07 11:57 AM
Response to Reply #4
5. You're welcome! This was a goodie. nt
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