 November
10 - Kickoff in Philadelphia |
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Hundreds
of students, labor leaders, workers, healthcare professionals,
social workers and community members gathered in Philadelphia
for a march and rally demanding healthcare for all.
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The
march assembled at the convention center during the opening
session of the American Public Health Association's Convention.
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KWRU
member and actor Mark Webber (recently
appearing in the movies Hollywood Ending and Chelsea Walls)
lead the marchers in chants.
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- Over
45 million Americans are without health care.
- The
United States is the only industrialized country without
universal health care. However, our system costs far more
than those other systems.
- For-profit
health care companies were the single greatest contributor
to political campaigns this past year.
- Over
1.5 million families declared bankruptcy last year due to
health care-related issues.
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"Yes
to Human Rights, No to the FTAA! (Free Trade Agreement of
the Americas)" In unison with sister organizations
from Central America, South America and Canada, the bus
riders will also carry this message around the country.
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Congressman
John Conyers, a leader in the US House of Representatives
in the fight for universal healthcare, who is now working
to introduce a
national single-payer health care bill, said,"We
want a single payer healthcare system because - guess what?
- it saves money, and it saves lives."
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Cheri
Honkala, Director of KWRU and National Spokesperson
for the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign said,
"We will use our national bus tour to expose the hidden
war taking place in America. State by state we will witness
the denials of basic human rights and we will document and
listen to the stories of people who are living without the
basics of food, housing, living wage jobs, education, and
healthcare."
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Mark
Dudzic, National Organizer for the Labor Party spoke:
"The Labor Party has made this struggle for Just Healhtcare
at the top of our organizing agenda. And we salute the Kensington
Welfare Rights Union, who are leaving today on a bus tour
to carry this message of healthcare for all around the country.We
belive that the only way that we are going to create a movement
for national healthcare is to build a strong, independent
movement of working people, of medical professionals, of poor
people, of all the locked out, shut down, left out brothers
and sisters around this country. Only then will the political
parties listen to us and will do what every other country
in this world has done for its citizens." |
Other
event speakers included:
- Eric
Hodgson
- American Medical Student Association
- Bill
Kane
- New Jersey Industrial Union Council
- Quentin
Young - Physicians for National Health Program
/ American Public Health Association
- Claudia
Fegan
- Physicians National Health Association
- Pedro
Rodriguez - Action Alliance
- Ellen
Isaacs - American Public Health Association
- Special
Musical Guest: Foreign
Diplomatz
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Just Health
Care Web Links
The
Labor Party - As the bus
travels around the country, we will carry with us the Labor
Party's campaign for Just
Health Care
Daily Prayer
for the New Freedom Bus Tour
The Rev.
Noelle Damico, Catalyst, School of Theology, University
of the Poor
Sunday,
November 10
God of Justice, we ask your blessing on the New Freedom Bus
Tour. May its message of economic human rights bring hope
to all who are suffering in poverty or despair. Where there
is isolation may we bring community; where there is fear,
courage; where there is shame, dignity; where there is timidity,
confidence; where there is sorrow, hope.
This day we especially remember the millions of Americans
who do not have health care. We remember those who live in
pain and those who have died unnecessarily because their human
right to healthcare has been denied by our nation. May this
bus tour help to establish the political will for our national
leaders to care for all the people of this land. And strengthen
us for our work of education, caring, and advocacy. Amen.
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About
the Campaign 
