Tea Parties & Town Halls Face Off Over Health Reform
IMC-US, 20.09.2009
Over the last few months, polarizing protests have erupted across the country over the question of health care reform. "Town hall" sessions seeking to inform the public about President Obama's proposed health reform bill have been critiqued from the left as ineffective at addressing root causes, and targetted by the right as evidence of "impending socialist doom."
A series of "tea parties", organized by astroturf organizations and
spurred on by figures like Michelle Malkin and Glen Beck, have converged in opposition to any expansion of the government's role in providing insurance. The
"single-payer" option, widely favored amongst grassroots community organizers, is almost entirely off the table, and discussion of the role of
the insurance lobby remains scant.
While dire, this situation has provoked creative response by grassroots organizers to reclaim space for authentic, participatory democracy, including
farcical counterprotests,
grassroots anger management initiatives, and a
caravan of doctors currently making its way across the country toward Washington, DC.
Here is a roundup of coverage from both sides of the barricades:
September9/17:
Wanted: Mad Doctors Assistant9/13:
T-Day: America Rebukes Scary Negro Socialism9/13:
VIDEO: Mad As Hell Doctors9/10:
Audio Reportback: Portland Mad As Hell Doctors Tour Kick Off9/9:
Seattle Health Care Rally9/8:
Labor Day Healthcare Rally9/6:
Loud Minority Tries to Shout Down Health Care Talk in Palo Alto9/6:
Health Reform Rally in Medford9/3:
Health Care for ALL Rally August8/31:
Orderly Town Hall Meeting8/29:
Billionaires for Wealthcare8/27:
Insurance Executives Against ObamaCare8/23:
State of the Left We Rot While "Town Hall" Bullies Multiply8/23:
The Obstacles of Health Care Reform8/22:
Starbucks Workers Protest Rise In Health Premiums8/19:
Activists For Health Care Reform Offer Counseling8/18:
Obama Vs Insurance: Pillow Fights8/17:
Change We need and Can Afford8/16:
Berkley Protest After Whole Foods CEO Comes out Against Public Health Care8/11:
Anger, Remorse, and Health-Care Reform8/7:
Real Health Care Reform: Universal Single Payer