Health Care Protests in D.C.
The American FlagPublic voice in any debate are the cornerstones of a true democracy- protesting, one way that so many decide to exercise this voice, is a strange beast. It plays great in the news, especially with colorful and big banners that do a good job taking up the cover for a newspaper or blog. But what kind of an effect does a protest have? Does it actually make the voices of its participants heard? Does it help to create any of the change that it so emphatically calls for? Is it largely an outlet for frustration rather than a viable vehicle for social and political change?
While the Civil Rights and Vietnam protests of the 1960’s are largely credited with catalyzing those changes, no protest movements since then have had any kind of similar effect. There were no cold war protests and 90’s protest of organizations like the WTO were largely symbolic backdrops for rock concerts. Iraq protests are reserved for small numbers.
So what should we think of the recent re-invigoration of protest culture? And the fact that it is the conservative party getting into the game this time around? Organizing town meeting speeches and other questioning sessions all the way to a recent Washington D.C. march, will the influence of protest culture make its voice heard in the political discourse around healthcare reform?
Yesterday tens of thousands gathered in Washington D.C. for a “March on Washington” in a protest march organized by the Freedom Works Foundation.
"We are hearing that about 300,000 people are expected to show up. They say that congressmen are not hearing what the people want. These are radical, conservative people, but they are saying that they are not getting their voices heard." said Monica Villamizar, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Washington D.C.
The anger and opposition to Obama’s recent speech before Congress echoes the frustration of the South Carolina Representative who called out “You Lie!” in the chamber during Obama’s speech. Emotions run high on health care for a variety of reasons, but many at this rally focused on the costs.
Many continue to call Obama and his plans socialist and focus on the 10 year, $1 Trillion price tag.
"My grandkids are going to be paying for this. It's going to cost too much money that we don't have," said Richard Brigle, 57, a Vietnam war veteran from Michigan.
"I want to see fiscal responsibility and if that means changing congress that will be a means to that end," said Norman Kennedy, another protester.
What about the price tag on the Iraq war? What about the price tag on bailing out our financial system after aggressive capitalism went awry? And what about the fact that how the U.S. keeps its books is far different from how any of us citizens keep our books- the U.S. may be spending more than it has but it runs like a business in that it spends/ invests on purpose- the books will never even out. The $1 Trillion investment over 10 years will undoubtedly save money in the long run, something those baby-boomer protesters will probably be thanking Obama for in twenty years when they need help and coverage.
The debates and protests will no doubt continue until there is some kind of vote and resolution, but for those on Saturday carrying signs that say "Obamacare makes me sick," it is a matter not only of their own health, but the financial and political health of the United States.
