Memphians will join TennCare sit-in at Bredesen's office

[struggle4progress]

Protestors in Nashville, outraged over TennCare changes will get some help from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Memphis.

SCLC's Memphis Chapter president Dwight Montgomery is packing things that will resupply the group of protesters participating in a sit-in at the governor's Nashville office. The protest is aimed at convincing the governor to abandoned plans to cut more than 320,000 people from TennCare.

"We're taking pillows, we're taking water were taking refreshments," said Montgomery. "And then we are going to get on the phone, members of SCLC, we are going to get on the phone, we are going to call various pastors...community leaders in Nashville and surrounding areas asking them to join in and support this particular sit-in." <snip>

Through a series of earlier demonstrations in Nashville, Memphis and other cities -- protesters have warned that cutting people from TennCare would spark an increase in sickness and even deaths as residents lose access to the state health plan and fall through the the health care system's cracks. <snip>

http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/story.asp?S=3522227

[Egalia]

1. Thank you!!!!!!

This is great. I'm putting it on my blog tonight. I've been covering the protest and I really believe we are going to win this one, the support just keeps coming! Today was day #7 of the sit-in or Occupation as some of us like to call it. Tonight is the 6th night protesters, including the sick and disabled, have slept locked inside the Capitol. There's lots more here:

http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/


I've posted related stories here at DU under Health care and Tennessee.

From my blog:

TennCare: Southern Christian Leadership Council Joins Protest Monday!

See Sharon Cobb for details about the vigil tonight and tomorrow night and every night the protesters are locked inside the Capitol.

Members of the SCLC (the organization founded by Martin Luther King, Jr.) will join protesters at the Capitol Monday. They, along with the President of the national organization will spend the night locked inside the Capitol in hopes that Governor Bredesen will finally begin to understand that this protest is deadly serious. There is one way to end it and only one way.

Listen to the people, Governor!

From the Nashville Peace & Justice Center:

Rally at the Capitol Monday with the National President of the Southern Christian Leadership Council:

THIS MONDAY, JUNE 27TH
NOON AT THE CAPITOL
National President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference,
Dr. Steele, and Memphis President, Dr. Montgomery
Join the TennCare Sit-In

IN THE ROTUNDA OUTSIDE OF THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCEà LEGISLATIVE PLAZA AT 6TH & UNION STAIRS at 7TH & UNION ENTRANCE TO THE WEST SIDE
PARKING: LIBRARY (6 & CHURCH)

YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN TO WELCOME DR. STEELE AND others from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as they join TennCare Enrollees and friends in the Capitol. THEY ARE COMMITTED TO SPENDING THE NIGHT AS PART OF A CALL TO THE GOVERNOR TO STOP THE CUTS AND YOU CAN STAY TOO…

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, http://sclcnational.org/content/sclc/splash.htm, was founded by Dr. Martin Luther King as part of the Civil Rights Movement and SCLC continues to lead in the struggle for justice. SCLC Memphis Chapter has lead the local movement in to stop the TennCare cuts and now their national organization joins us at the capitol in this struggle.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO STAY THE EVENING:
AGREEMENT TO STAY THE EVENING:
6 PRINCIPLES OF NONVIOLENCE
1. Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people
2. Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding
3. Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice not people
4. Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform
5. Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate
6. Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice

____ SUPPORTING THIS COMMUNITY ACTION, AND NEW TO THE GROUP, I WILL FOLLOW THE LEAD OF THE DESIGNATED GROUP LEADERS.

____ I WILL NOT YELL AT ANYONE OR PHYSICALLY THREATEN ANYONE MAY THEY BE SECURITY, GOVERNOR’S STAFF, POLITICAL OFFICIALS, OR MEMBERS OF THE GROUP.

____ IF I PUT MYSELF AT RISK, THE GROUP WILL DO WHAT IT IS ABLE TO HELP BUT I AM SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR MY OWN WELL BEING AND ACTIONS.

http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2005/06/tenncare-southern-christian-leadership.html

[struggle4progress]

2. I'd bet there's a big federal angle to this picture, too. eom

[burrowowl]

3. Good on him!

The People of this entire Nation have to get busy with: sit-ins, protests and oh my god STRIKES!

[Erika]

4. Bravo to you

I'm still stuck in a red state that thinks all can be rich in America if they just work harder- even if it's four jobs a day. Reality and the GOP have little to do with the other.

[Pastiche423]

5. Thank you for posting this!

A little more of the story...

Governor Bredesen Issues Life Sentences to Vent Users.

Before and after a media event Governor Bredesen, of Tennessee, was
confronted about several issues surrounding the states TennCare cuts.
Under a special category of TennCare there are around one hundred
individuals who use ventilators that receive support services in there own homes. Governor Bredesens plan to cut TennCare includes cutting the TennCare coverage that allows individuals that are vent dependent to live independent lives. Some live in their own homes, some with family or friends but they are all free Americans.

When asked directly by Randy Alexander what his plans were in relation to these specific cuts Governor Bredesen replied, Im not going to cut their services Im just going to put then in the nursing home.

So you are saying, you, will institutionalize people because they have a disability asked Randy Alexander? Yes, replied Bredesen, I care about them, Im not cutting their services Im going to provide their services in a nursing home, the Governor continued.

Are you going to sentence them to prison for the crime of having a
disability? A nursing home is an institution, an institution is
imprisonment and you are saying today, right now, you are willing to
sentence them to prison for the crime of having a disability, asked
Alexander. Governor Bredesen began to step away as he said, the state
cannot afford to pay for the services of these one hundred people.

We are talking about basic human rights here, you have admitted today you, this state, is willing to imprison people simply because they have a disability, said Alexander before the Governor had a chance to walk away.

The Governors plan is to do just that, issue life sentences to those who use vents. He is willing to take away the freedoms of over one hundred people in this state simply because they have a disability.

http://www.mcil.org/

[newswolf56]

6. I was hoping Bredesen might be of presidential caliber...

...for 2008, but his handling of the TennCare crisis makes it painfully clear he is not. Institutionalization for the physically disabled? What is next, concentration camps for anyone the government decides is "defective"?

[Pastiche423]

8. It is just institutionalization for the physically disabled

It means death to vent dependent quads.

[colonel odis]

7. bredesen's pretty much a republican in democrat clothing. eom