If you have been watching Keith Olbermann on Countdown on MSNBC TV you will be aware of his Special Comment about healthcare yesterday and that he is sponsoring The National Association of Free Clinics.
If you haven’t you can watch his hour long Special Comment delivered yesterday on this blog at Keith Olbermann: Special Comment of Wednesday October 7 2009. At the closing of his Special Comment he made us a proposition:
So I propose tonight one act with two purposes. I propose we, all of us, embrace the selfless individuals at the National Association of Free Clinics. You know them, they conducted the mass health care free clinic in Houston that served 1,500 people. I want a mass health care free clinic every week in the principle cities of the states of the six senators key to defeating a filibuster against health care reform in the Senate.
I want Sens. Lincoln [D-AR] and Pryor [D-AR] to see what health care poverty is really like in Little Rock. I want Sen. Baucus [D-MT] to see it in Butte. I want Sen. Ben Nelson [D-NE] to see it in Lincoln. I want Sen. Landrieu [D-LA] to see it in Baton Rouge. I want Sen. Reid to see it in Las Vegas.
I’ll donate. How much will you donate? We enable thousands of our neighbors to have just a portion of the bounty of good health, and we make a statement to the politicians, forgive me, William Jennings Bryan, “you shall not press down upon the brow of America this crown of insurance, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of blue.”
He reiterated his sponsorship the the National Association of Free Clinics again tonight by donating $50,000 as seed money to finance the free clinics. If you don’t know anything about the National Association of Free Clinics your can check out their website here.
The National Association of Free Clinics (NAFC) is the only nonprofit 501c(3) organization whose mission is solely focused on the issues and needs of the more than 1,200 free clinics and the people they serve in the United States.
Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the NAFC is an effective advocate for the issues and concerns of free clinics, their volunteer workforce of doctors, dentists, nurses, therapists, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, technicians and other health care professionals, and the patients served by free clinics in communities throughout the nation.
I just made a $50 donation. If you have been keeping up with you news. The object of the Free Clinics is to show the six Senators the face of poverty and the need for a public option in the healthcare reform bill being bantered about the Congress. It is a hell of a note that such efforts have to be exerted just to get the eye of these Senators, but they don’t really know any poor people up close and personal.
Perhaps, if any of them actually show up at these clinics, they’ll learn something. We’ll see what they do, and if any of it soaks into their hard heads. If it doesn’t there is always the next election to find someone who does understand and will do something about the atrocious stranglehold health insurance and pharmaceutical companies have on people. Remember what Olbermann said about his visit to the drug store:
The woman who needed the prescription spoke even more slowly than the pharmacist had. She had almost no hope in her voice. “Try the Cigna. Please.” Another drug store, late at night. The pharmacist was a friend of mine. “You have to do something about this,” he said as he handed me my refill and then reached for somebody else’s prescription. “You see this? Anti-fungal cream. I just filled this. You know what this costs wholesale? Four dollars. You know what I have to sell it for? Two hundred and sixty-three dollars. I sell it for less and I get fired and maybe we lose our license.”
Now is you chance to do a good deed, to help get the attention of those Senators, to help get a decent health care bill passed WITH A PUBLIC OPTION that will combat the predatory insurance practices perpetrated on us all. Please make your donation today. There aren’t many days left to act, don’t let them slip away.
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I am donating and I hope this pushes the inactive believers in change to get off the couch and really demand that those we voted in, carry out our needs and not just those of Rupert Murdock and the hatemongers he employs.
Glad you donated and I have the same hope you have. Thank you for commenting.
Thank God for Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow, they give voice to fact, when so much deliberate misinformation is being disseminated. Healthcare is not a luxury, but a need. A nation of broke, unhealthy people cannot prosper.
Olbermann and Maddow are definite helps. I’m thankful they are on the air and keep on top of this stuff. I throw a lot of kudos to Warren Potter too. If only the recalcitrant Democrats in Congress would truly get off the time, ignore the Republicans and simply get with it. I’m hoping they finally adopt a public option of single-payer. Thank you for your comment.
I can’t believe we have a Keith O and Rachel Maddow who are on our side. Think of all the $$$ spent by the corporations and Insurances to simply give us what Canad aready has. Keep up the good work We aare behind you. I’m sending my donation as an ex-Houstonian for the FRee Clinics.
We are, I believe, indeed fortunate to have Olbermann and Maddow to counteract the likes of Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity on the national media. I sent a contribution to the Free Clinics also. Thank you for commenting.
How lucky am I to live in a world and time with Keith Olbermann in it. May God forever bless that man. I am trying to find the site where I can donate but this is not it. Please send me the correct address. Sincerely, NJB
Hello Nancy. The site on which you can donate to the Free Clinics is http://www.freeclinics.us/index.php.
At about the same time as Keith Olbermann publicized the Free Clinics and the shame of our country having millions of fellow citizens without health insurance or access, the Obama Administration (which we support) announced an off-the-regulations payment to each Social Security recipientcitizen, regardless of need. If we each receive that bribe money, the $500 will be donated to the Free Clinics.
It’s time for Health Care reform. We need a public option since
as I type this my Wife remains uninsured due to cost then to
pre-existing conditions. We hope and pray nothing serious
happens for the next five years when she can get Medicare.
I survived open heart surgery and now have a pacemaker
thanks to my wonderful health care provided by the VA.
Which is a wonderful government health care system. I
stand to say we not only need health care reform and a
plan which patterned after the VA and a public option.
I completely agree with you Frank that we need a public option–specifically, a single payer healthcare system like Medicare. My wife and I both use Medicare. We are both in our mid-70′s. I also use the VA. I agree it is a very valuable resource. We’re all sort of awaiting the Senate to get an idea of what we’re going to wind up with.
Keep your fingers crossed.
Thanks to Keith and Rachel for their support for the NAFC. I just donated $1,000 with hope that it will be of some benefit to those in need. I would also like to say as an American and a Veteran and especially as a Parkinson Disease suffer what it’s like to be denied insurance because of a “preexisting condition” but thank god for the VA. In my sixty-nine years, I would have never realized that our government, mainly our congressional Republican and some Democrat nitwits would trample our citizenry through all this political muck. I am in pure disgust and ashamed of them.
A tip of my hat to you Roger for your generous contribution to the National Association of Free Clinics. Good health care is a people issue–not so much political. I am also ashamed of those who would deny the availability of quality health care to any American citizen. I also find the VA a valuable health care source–socialistic or not.
One last item, I would like to see NAFC set up a program here in the Red Theocracy State of Utah. We need help for our uninsured as well.
Bet you do. Utah seems to be reluctant to do much of anything I would term as progressive. Though I must commend them for their Family History Library in Salt Lake City. That is somewhat selfish on my part because of my interest in the genealogical history of my own family tree.
To Mr Olbermann and any of his listeners or readers:
I am a licensed and board certified Physician Assistant and have been out of work for almost a year. So I can’t donate money. But I have registered to be a volunteer a medical provider at the NAFC’s December 9, 2009 event in Kansas City. Even though I am unemployed at the moment , I still have my own health insurance and it seems like my clear responsibility to go serve those who have no health insurance and no access to healthcare.
I have no discretionary money and nothing like airline miles to cash in. Please check with NAFC to verify my registration as a medical provider. Then, if anyone would like to donate my airfare or free miles to get me from San Diego to Kansas City, I will go in your behalf. In fact, it would be an honor to go and volunteer at every single event if anyone can get me wherever the free clinics are being held.
Feel free to contact me by email : eleos_mjl@yahoo.com
sincerely,
Martha J Lynch PA-C
Physician Assistant
Hello Martha. Must commend you for your willingness to participate in the free clinics. I hope your comment draws some interest and offers to get you to Kansas City.
Bill Bane would like to donation some money to National ASSN of free clinics that he heard from Mr. Ed schultz from radio so Bill would like have a right address to sent his check .,thank you !
Please provide an address to which I may send a donation.
I no longer have the address to which you can send a donation. When I made mine I looked up the free clinic website Olbermann was talking about and made my donation that way. You can do it the same way. Sorry I no longer have the free clinc website’s url.
Thank you for commenting. Sorry for my delay in responding. Been up to my ears in some research.
Please provide an address to which I may send a donation.
Thank you
I wish to make a donation……on line or snail mail…please send
the needed info….thanks.
The free clinics web address is http://www.freeclinics.us/index.php
Estelle, try http://www.freeclinics.us/.
I would like to make a donation. I need the address and name or group to make the check out to. Thanks
The web address of the free clincis is http://www.freeclinics.us/index.php.
please send infor to donate to new orleans event. I don’t see it on your website
I emailed the web address for the free clinics to you Janet. It is http://www.freeclinics.us/index.php.
Why aren’t they having any clinics on the west coast? These people are suffering too!!!!!!!!
I have no idea why there are no free health clinics on the west coast, Bobby. Maybe no one has sought to interest them in doing one out here.
I don’t know Bobby. You might access the Free Clinics’ website and ask them.