SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Senate, White House Health Reform Tucks in Gun Rights
Could we make this stuff up? We cannot get healthcare as a
basic human right for one another. But we sure can make sure gun
ownership protections are tucked into the Senate health reform bill that is so
celebrated as historic by the White House.
Dec 22, 2009
Could we make this stuff up? We cannot get healthcare as a
basic human right for one another. But we sure can make sure gun
ownership protections are tucked into the Senate health reform bill that is so
celebrated as historic by the White House.
It gives a whole new meaning to "kill the bill," doesn't it?
Or maybe killing people in a number of ways just didn't really matter all that
much in this process so far. Protecting the money and the power is what
mattered. Is there any better explanation for including gun rights issues
within healthcare legislation?
In an Associated Press report we read, "Gun rights
lobbyists pushed for language to ban collection of data on gun ownership in the
bill."
That's right. Somehow the gun lobby was able to secure its
own special little deal to make sure those who wish to brandish guns are able
to do so without too much scrutiny.
So, let's get another thing straight from Congress' health reform
effort thus far. We cannot possibly protect the right to have healthcare
professionals and patients decide on appropriate healthcare treatments without
more intervention by private, for-profit insurance companies, but we can add in
more protections for those who wish to kill with guns to do so?
I wonder how some of the folks who have endured horrific acts of
gun violence in this nation would feel about that being including as a way to
improve the nation's healthcare system? Was part of the intent to make
sure those who are shot in our cities and schools and workplaces have insurance
to cover those traumatic injuries in the future?
Guess I have more stock prices to check today. Health
insurance giants. Big Pharma. Gun manufacturers.
Peace on earth, goodwill toward men. And pass the ammo with
that, would you please?
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Donna Smith
Donna Smith is the former executive director of Progressive Democrats of America and currently a Medicare for All campaign surrogate for Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Could we make this stuff up? We cannot get healthcare as a
basic human right for one another. But we sure can make sure gun
ownership protections are tucked into the Senate health reform bill that is so
celebrated as historic by the White House.
It gives a whole new meaning to "kill the bill," doesn't it?
Or maybe killing people in a number of ways just didn't really matter all that
much in this process so far. Protecting the money and the power is what
mattered. Is there any better explanation for including gun rights issues
within healthcare legislation?
In an Associated Press report we read, "Gun rights
lobbyists pushed for language to ban collection of data on gun ownership in the
bill."
That's right. Somehow the gun lobby was able to secure its
own special little deal to make sure those who wish to brandish guns are able
to do so without too much scrutiny.
So, let's get another thing straight from Congress' health reform
effort thus far. We cannot possibly protect the right to have healthcare
professionals and patients decide on appropriate healthcare treatments without
more intervention by private, for-profit insurance companies, but we can add in
more protections for those who wish to kill with guns to do so?
I wonder how some of the folks who have endured horrific acts of
gun violence in this nation would feel about that being including as a way to
improve the nation's healthcare system? Was part of the intent to make
sure those who are shot in our cities and schools and workplaces have insurance
to cover those traumatic injuries in the future?
Guess I have more stock prices to check today. Health
insurance giants. Big Pharma. Gun manufacturers.
Peace on earth, goodwill toward men. And pass the ammo with
that, would you please?
Donna Smith
Donna Smith is the former executive director of Progressive Democrats of America and currently a Medicare for All campaign surrogate for Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Could we make this stuff up? We cannot get healthcare as a
basic human right for one another. But we sure can make sure gun
ownership protections are tucked into the Senate health reform bill that is so
celebrated as historic by the White House.
It gives a whole new meaning to "kill the bill," doesn't it?
Or maybe killing people in a number of ways just didn't really matter all that
much in this process so far. Protecting the money and the power is what
mattered. Is there any better explanation for including gun rights issues
within healthcare legislation?
In an Associated Press report we read, "Gun rights
lobbyists pushed for language to ban collection of data on gun ownership in the
bill."
That's right. Somehow the gun lobby was able to secure its
own special little deal to make sure those who wish to brandish guns are able
to do so without too much scrutiny.
So, let's get another thing straight from Congress' health reform
effort thus far. We cannot possibly protect the right to have healthcare
professionals and patients decide on appropriate healthcare treatments without
more intervention by private, for-profit insurance companies, but we can add in
more protections for those who wish to kill with guns to do so?
I wonder how some of the folks who have endured horrific acts of
gun violence in this nation would feel about that being including as a way to
improve the nation's healthcare system? Was part of the intent to make
sure those who are shot in our cities and schools and workplaces have insurance
to cover those traumatic injuries in the future?
Guess I have more stock prices to check today. Health
insurance giants. Big Pharma. Gun manufacturers.
Peace on earth, goodwill toward men. And pass the ammo with
that, would you please?
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.