Faithful Philly Forum

I just saw Sicko and found it funny and sad, provocative and enraging! It is a strong case for national health care. Just like we have a safety net for senior citizens with social security (unless Bush has his way and dismantles it) and a “socialized” free public library system, police force, fire protection, etc this would provide the safety net that other western countries already have in place. The highly successful programs in England, Canada, France are all documented in this film. So now President Bush has announced that he will veto a bipartisan US Senate plan to expand the health care coverage for children! Any thinking person would ask what has he got against the children? Sick ones at that? Why?         

Because according to his spokesperson, he suspects that people may drop their (read: expensive) coverage and “go on the government-subsidized program.” (NYTimes 7/15) In other words, this is an admission that they know people are desperate for health care, low cost health care. And since, we know that the cultural mandate of the elite is to give away nothing free, (unless it is to large corporations!), then he is against more money for the children!

   “And when you do it to the least of these my children, you have done it to me.”

I’m currently sitting in the press section at the ACORN Presidential Candidate Forum at the Bright Hope Baptist Church at 12th and Cecil B. Moore.  It’s an event that showcases a beautiful marriage of faith and politics.

Rev. Kevin Johnson, the senior pastor of Bright Hope, opened the forum with a prayer that walked the line between religious doctrine and protest rhetoric graciously.

We’ve heard from the presumed mayor-elect Michael Nutter, as well as Representative Chaka Fattah, both of whom spoke out again predatory lending, endorsed funds for neighborhood repair and full funding of public schools.

Later, we’ll be hearing from Sen. Hillary Clinton, Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Sen. John Edwards (who will be announcing his plan to increase minimum wage).
ACORN is streaming the forum live, which you can watch here.  There’s also a forum in which you can participate if you feel the need to respond to the things you are seeing and hearing.