the populace now volume 2 issue # 19
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The Populace NowTRANSCRIPT
In this issue Welcome Readers P.1 Health Care Reform P.2
Is it Healthcare or is it Racism P.3 Not What The Critics Expected P.4
September 12, 2009
Welcome Readers
ISS UE
19
VOL. 2
On September 11,1977
Roots, a mini-series based on
Alex P. Haley ’s novel, Roots,
received several awards at
the 19th Annual Emmy .
Roots depicted Haley’s family
history in Africa and America.
On September 11, 1966,
Henry W. McGee was ap-
pointed as the first Black
Postmaster of Chicago, IL
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Our Review.
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A Bronx Princess on
final page
The Populace Now Volume 2 Issue 19 Page 2
Health Care Reform
health re-
form, as we
know it. It's
simple, the
old system no longer works and has-
n't for some time now. Statistics
show that Medicare will be in the
red in the next 8-10 years. Mean-
while, the
cost of health
care is going
up (insurance
p o l i c i e s ,
medications,
doctors fees,
etc) and salaries
are going down
as people are
taking massive
pay cuts and
losing employ-
ment everyday.
What caught my
attention most
were the physi-
cians and pa-
tients telling
their experiences
and bringing ideas to help remedy
the current problems rather than
By Buffy Griffin for The Populace Now
Health Reform has
been the heated topic
over the past few
months as it greatly
affects everyone.
Strong opinions and
fears have been ex-
pressed in numerous town hall meet-
ings and other forums.
While many are in
disagreement on how
the change should be
made, most, if not all
are in agreement that
a change is imperative
and should sooner than later be im-
plemented.
I had the privilege to listen in on a
few town hall meetings herring hear
from Obama's (health reform) ad-
ministration, physicians and those
receiving health care. Mixed emo-
tions and inappropriate behavior are
certainly less desired hindrances to
progress for the many people need-
ing assistance with the rising costs
of health care.
It seems as though fear of change is
what has many in opposition. Even
though change, is what’s needed for
pointing fingers and playing the
blame game. Doctors are on board
to help ease the cost and still pro-
vide quality heath care offering
funding alternatives and open to
ideas that may work for all in-
volved. Still no agreement has been
made on this long on-going prob-
lem.
People are literally dying each day
while congress is
battling back and
forth. Where are
the priorities at
this point? Why is
there so much op-
position instead of
progression? What
amazes me most is
we can pay enter-
tainers and ball
players of various
sports millions of
dollars but can’t
find a way to acquire resources to
keep our country healthy!
Ronnie Bush
Third Ward Alderman
815-233-1027 (home)
815-238-8530 (cell)
-People are literally dying
each day while congress is
battling back and forth.-
Capitol building Washington, D.C.
Volume 2 Issue 19 The Populace Now Page 3
By LeNie Adolphson for The Populace Now
During the historical
presidential cam-
paign of 2008, then
Senator Obama ran
on a campaign of
hope and change,
clearly, the majority
of American people sought change
as proven by President Obama’s
extraordinary victory. During the
campaign, healthcare was a major
theme. The idea
of healthcare re-
form in the
United States is
not new. Health-
care has been a
major issue for
sixty years.
Harry Truman sought to enact
healthcare reform and it never oc-
curred. In later years, Richard
Nixon enacted some reforms, but
the problems of the uninsured,
high deductibles, and highhanded
insurance policies remained in
force. Bill and Hillary Clinton also
sought to reform healthcare in
1993 and they too failed. The key
goal of ensuring that all Americans
receive healthcare has crashed and
burned repeatedly. At this time,
there are over forty million Ameri-
cans without health insurance.
Moreover, high deductibles prevent
many with insurance from seeking
care.
Once a medical crisis occurs, the
uninsured languish in emergency
rooms for hours. Those with major
illnesses normally die sooner than
those with insurance. Ironically,
the uninsured are very costly, since
the emergency room is the most
expensive form of medical treat-
ment. However, while everyone
admits that the healthcare system
needs reformed, a funny thing has
happened on the way to reform. The
healthcare debate has dissolved into
mob scenes and brawls. Why? Obvi-
ously, insurance companies resist
mandates and new regulations.
Furthermore, some members of
Congress receive large financial
contributions from insurance com-
panies. Consequently, they encour-
age the mobs to disrupt and inter-
rupt any genuine discussions about
h e a l t h -
care. How-
ever, over the
last few
weeks, it is
a p p a r e n t
that there is
another more potent and ugly face
to the healthcare debate. This is the
face of hate.
Many of the individuals at the
town halls despise President
Obama. Many of the town-hall pro-
testers have taken their lead from
radio show host Rush Limbaugh
who proudly proclaimed during
President Obama’s inauguration
that he hoped President Obama
would fail. It is clear from the signs
at the rallies that the protesters are
more upset that a black man is in
the White House than the proposed
healthcare bill. Undeniably, these
mobs consist of the same type who
question if Barack Obama is an
American citizen. These are the
same mobs that went to Sarah
Palin rallies and shouted, “Kill
him.” The so-called healthcare
town hall meetings reveal that for
many attendees, the meetings are
not a true discussion of healthcare
policies but a scrap. Senators and
congressional representatives who
host these events experience people
screaming and shouting. Obviously,
the mobs are out in force not to talk
about healthcare but to prevent it
from ever occurring. Paradoxically,
many of the individuals screaming
the loudest at these forums are on
Medicare, which by the way is gov-
ernment healthcare.
There are organized groups such as
Freedom Works, which is dedicated to
preventing healthcare reform. Free-
dom Work’s website opens with “Help
us defeat Obamacare.” Freedom
Works and others like them are whip-
ping individuals into frenzies about
“pulling the plug on grandma” death
panels, and lies about the healthcare
bill. The truth is that we have a
healthcare system that does not work
for many Americans. For many, it is
too expensive, inaccessible, and un-
sympathetic. This is a crisis for the
uninsured part time worker in Free-
port, Illinois to the waiter with cancer
in Des Moines, Iowa. One must won-
der where these uninsured people are
and why we have not heard their sto-
ries and struggles at the town hall
meetings. We have only heard from
those who have a plan of hate and
obstruction.
This issue is about the forty million
uninsured and the thirty million un-
der-insured who pray every day that
they stay healthy. If healthcare fails
again, it will be a victory for the hat-
ers and those who have become
wealthy on the current system. Even
the town-hall brawlers will lose in the
end once they see their premiums rise
and services drop. Nevertheless, if
healthcare fails yet again the Democ-
rats and President Obama will cer-
tainly have a political defeat. How-
ever, the real losers will be the
American people who voted for hope
and change.
Is it Healthcare or is it Racism
-Freedom Work’s website
opens with “Help us defeat
Obamacare.”-
By Patrick A. Sellers for The Populace Now
for your child, but please do not
continue to allow your own per-
sonal feelings or the persuasive
power of the media to control your
ability to think logically.
It is a shame that some
parents did not allow their
children to view President
Obama’s address to school
aged children. What did
they think he was going to say? Chil-
dren are not policy makers; they are not
legal voters, so why would the President
attempt to push any form of political
agenda on them?
The thought process of some people
have been contami-
nated by politicians
and this is a clear
example of one those
crazy phenomena in
which people are
lead by off-beat politicians that just so
happen to be in conjunction with loud
m o u t h m e d i a p e r s o n n e l .
It is apparent that things have gotten
out of hand when you have an opposing
politicians accusing the President of
attempting to “Brainwash” children!
How long will people allow
fear tactics to control their psy-
che? Could it be that every ri-
diculous accusation that comes
across the media, spoken at ral-
lies, preached at church or dis-
cussed in a public forum will be
held as the gospel truth? We
will never advance as a country,
if members of Congress and
certain media personalities are
determine to undermine the
efforts of the
President.
To the peo-
ple that did
not allow
their children to view the Presi-
dent’s address, you and your
child missed a power, thought
provoking and encouraging
speech. I totally understand
that you as a parent reserve the
right to do what you feel is best
Not What The Critics Expected
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President Obama addressing students
This film is great! This is definitely
one of those publications that you
simply must watch! The story is
about a young teen age girl born to
Ghanaian parents in the Bronx. This
young lady is no push-over; she is
smart, sassy, college bound and truly
a high-achiever.
With college life and freedom so
near, she rebels against the rules of
her mother; with tensions between
them she decides to flee to her fa-
ther, a chief in Ghana.
Her American way of thinking, her
strive for independence and dreams
of success conflicts with her father’s
traditional African values. The story
will inspire both parents and chil-
dren alike, this is one film you and
your family will truly enjoy. A
Bronx Princess will air on Sep-
tember 22, 2009.
Ratings = 5 out of 5
A Bronx Princess
Airing September 22, 2009 on PBS
Our Review By The Populace Now