By LEO Weekly
The red that progressive doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals are seeing over the roughly 47 million uninsured Americans probably looks a lot like the blood-colored, “Sicko”-branded scrubs they wore Friday morning as they shouted, “I get sick!” in unison outside Baxter Avenue Theatres. The boisterous demonstration actually inspired a neighborhood dog to bark its own outrage at the insurance-driven woes of the American healthcare system — or maybe it just had a cough.
The gathering of medical professionals and activists before the premiere of Michael Moore’s new documentary, “Sicko,” was part of a nationwide effort called “Scrubs for Sicko,” using the film as a springboard to cull support for universal healthcare legislation, specifically House Resolution 676, which would establish a national healthcare program by extending Medicare to every U.S. resident — that includes those visiting the United States and its territories.
Many of those same professionals spoke at a press conference before the screening, along with civic and government leaders, including state Rep. Jim Wayne, D-35. Suzy Post, a veteran of multiple social movements, said healthcare rights must be won the way civil rights and womens’ rights have been.
“Civil rights are no damn good if you’re dead,” Post said.
Others extolled the virtues of HR 676, which currently resides in the House Ways and Means, Veterans’ Affairs and Energy and Commerce committees. Third District U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth is a co-sponsor of the bill, one of 74 representatives on that list; Michigan Democrat John Conyers originally floated the resolution in 2003. Marty Meyer, a representative in Yarmuth’s district office, delivered a statement from the Congressman in support of the bill.
Though attendees rallied behind Moore’s latest film, most of the discussion focused on the issues presented in “Sicko” rather than the movie itself.
“Medical care is a necessity rather than a commodity,” Syed Quadri, medical director at a free medical clinic in Elizabethtown, said. “Many people don’t agree with Moore’s politics, but no one disputes the facts coming out of this film. People know about the problems.”
Volunteers handed out literature and “Free Universal Healthcare” cards — like the I.D. cards HR 676 would require — that could only be activated when the legislation passes. –Ryan Real