Why I March

My family and I are blessed to have health insurance through my husband’s work. He and I also both have health savings accounts which allow us to set aside pretax dollars for healthcare expenses not covered by insurance. On June 25, our second to youngest son was in pain and needed to go to the ER. I called the exchange of his pediatrician, who has been with him since birth, and let them know what was happening. After telling the nurse my choice of hospital, she called the ER to let them know we were on our way. We arrived and all of his paperwork was ready as was his room. He needed surgery and was able to get it the same day. Needless to say our healthcare needs are met. Unlike the tea party members who marched for their own taxes, I and countless other progressives march for the least of these.

We march for the poor, disabled, children, elderly and those Americans who might have fallen on hard times and must rely on the government to provide healthcare. Everyone in these categories are as deserving as my son when they require medical attention. The very people working to take away healthcare from millions of Americans use government-sponsored healthcare. Our tax dollars pay for it and for their salaries. Why work for the government if your goal is to dismantle its services?

America has so many pressing needs including the infant-mother mortality rate, outdated immigration laws, infrastructure issues, income inequality, poverty, crime including hate crimes, racism, criminal justice reform, money in politics, an unstable resident in the white house; the list goes on. Yet, Republicans cannot move forward past wanting to repeal the ACA, only because President Obama is a black man. Their behavior is irresponsible, immoral, and in their words, sinful. They are salivating to defund Planned Parenthood simply because the organization performs abortions, knowing that federal money cannot be used to pay for them. Yet, these same “prolife” Republicans are willing to allow the sick to be without health insurance and possibly die from their diseases and injuries.

Life cannot be sustained without access to healthcare. Greed, avarice, and racism have no place in policymaking and I will continue to march until our government is rid of these ills once and for all.