For months, Metro Councilman at Large Jerry Maynard has been asking a very pertinent question – why can’t we harness the same power that defeated English Only in Nashville to improve our health care and education systems? To that end, Maynard is spreading the word about a press conference, community rally, information session, and call to action for Metro General Hospital that is being held tomorrow evening at 5:00 PM at Watson Grove Baptist Church.
Reverend Henry Blaze of Progressive Baptist Church, Reverend Judi Hoffman of Edgehill United Methodist Church, Freda Player of Change that Works Tennessee, along with the support of more than 50 Nashville clergy, will gather and address the looming financial crisis that faces the hospital and threatens the delivery of critical services to the uninsured, the education of more than 700 Meharry Medical College students, and more than 700 jobs. Their aim is to rally citizens and community, business, civic, and health care leaders to stand together in their support of the mission of the hospital – to provide an accredited, full service, public safety net hospital for all people regardless of their ability to pay.
WHEN: Press conference, Tuesday, March 31, 2009, at 5:00 p.m.; Community Rally will follow at 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Watson Grove Baptist Church, 1415 Horton Avenue, Nashville, 37203 (Parking next to church)
“Health care is a moral imperative, essential to preserving and protecting human dignity. As more Nashville residents become uninsured, General Hospital’s role as a safety-net hospital is increasingly important,” said Reverend Blaze. “This vital safety-net is threatened because of budget problems at both the local and state level. We need federal help to get through this crisis.”
He added, “The Metro General – Meharry Medical College partnership is a unique national health care resource that is deserving of federal financial support.”
In light of Mayor Dean’s request for 10% budget cuts across the board for government departments, Nashville General, which serves more than 30% of the uninsured patients in Nashville, may be in real trouble. Take the opportunity to come out tomorrow and find out why.
http://baptistperspective.brucegourley.com/2009/07/health-care-debate-and-tommy-douglas.html
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The Health Care Debate and Tommy Douglas, Greatest Canadian of All Time
Few Americans may realize that a Baptist minister is recognized by Canadians as the “Greatest Canadian of All Time.” Tommy Douglas, who died in 1986, is one of history’s most influential Baptists that few outside of Canada know. And here in the summer of 2009, Douglas’ legacy is extremely relevant to the biggest issue facing Americans: health care.
Tommy Douglas, you see, was the man who brought about Canada’s universal public health care system, a health care system which Canadians for several generations now have chosen to pay extra taxes to operate and maintain, and a health care system which 91% of Canadians today view as superior to America’s health care system. Furthermore, Douglas set Canada on the road to universal health care during the Great Depression, while here in America today President Obama is seeking to do the very same thing during the current Great Recession.
Douglas, a minister turned politician, first became personally aware of the moral imperative of health care when as a child he almost lost his leg to a disease because his family could not pay for treatment; only by the good graces of a doctor, who offered his medical services for free, was Douglas’ leg saved. Influenced by the Christian principles of the Social Gospel while in collge, Douglas pastored for several years before entering politics during the Depression in 1935, becoming the Premier of Saskatchewan in 1942. He remained a leading politician in Canada for many years, consistently advocating for universal health care and basic human rights. Under his leadership, the Saskatchewan Bill of Rights was enacted. And while securing public health care for all citizens, Douglas paid off government debt and created a surplus.
Although today most Americans want a public health care option, we as a nation are slow to the table in responding to the moral imperative of basic universal public health care (although a number of presidents, beginning with Teddy Roosevelt, have personally supported public health care). If we as a nation this year do manage to place human life above the greed-driven free market health insurance industry by enacting a public health care option, we have Tommy Douglas to thank, one of the greatest Baptists of the past century.
Posted by Bruce Gourley at 7:00 AM
Labels: baptist, government, greed, health care, insurance, Teddy Roosevelt, Tommy Douglas