SHAWNEE, Kan. - No matter where you live in Kansas, the Kansas City Young Democrats are hoping that you will join in their March for Health Care Reform, on Saturday morning, November 7. The marchers are meeting at 9:45 at the northeast corner of Johnson Drive and Cody, at Blue Jacket Park / Old Shawnee Town in Shawnee.
Organizers are asking that progressive activists from elsewhere in Kansas, regardless of age or affiliation, join them in this demonstration. A member of the group, Benjamin Lindner, told us, "We need all Kansans who care about real health care reform to come and show their support."
The purpose of this march is to drive home to U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore that Kansans want a strong public option included in the health care reform in Congress - and, to stand up against Kansas State Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook's Health Care Freedom Amendment being considered in the state senate. Cook's state amendment would make it possible for the state legislature to prevent the public option, if passed in the U.S. Congress, from being made available to citizens of Kansas.
The Young Democrats are opposed to Pilcher-Cook's amendment. They don't want any Kansans to be left out of the health care reform that passes in Washington.
In their press release, the group explains, "The citizens of Kansas deserve real health care reform, not empty rhetoric intended to benefit the health insurance industry."
Sen. Pilcher-Cook joined several other Republican state lawmakers who traveled around the state on Oct. 27 pushing for the amendment.
The amendment would prohibit requiring Kansans to buy health insurance under a government plan.
The proposed Republican amendment may be introduced during the legislative session that starts in January. It will have to be approved by two thirds of the House and Senate before it could go to the voters for consideration in November 2010.
The Young Democrats want to get out ahead of this effort, beginning with this state-wide march in Shawnee. The Young Democrats have teamed up with a variety of other activist groups for this march and rally.
A spokesman for the group, Skye Coleman emphasized the march's importance, "Sen. Pilcher-Cook needs to know that her constituents do not stand with her in supporting such ludicrous amendments actually designed to limit their choices when it comes to health insurance. The people of Kansas are smarter than to believe the misleading language of the proposed amendment, and will collectively fight to ensure it fails."
Coleman also points out that, "With Koch Industries backed Americans for Prosperity (AFP) at her side, Pilcher-Cook introduced an amendment with the sole purpose of denying Kansans the very Health Care Reform that is so badly needed. In response, a grass-roots uprising has snowballed into a tremendous movement. As part of a first phase, numerous concerned Kansas citizens reached out to Sen. Pilcher-Cooks constituents to inform them of the unimaginable desire of their elected official -- and nearly 2000 calls were made. But we weren't done yet... Phase II starts tomorrow morning, and I hope that you can join us.
"Call your friends, parents, and anyone else in the area -- we must stand, together, strong and united."
Coleman is also asking supporters to be aware that a counter protest has been mobilized by Americans for Prosperity, the group that opposes government expansion of health care and funded the Oct. 27 tour in support of the amendment.
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