Together We Will Do This by Richard Burrill
“Money doesn’t talk, it swears.” – Bob Dylan
Two years ago I attended a forum sponsored by a group called Healthcare4All at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. When I left that meeting, I was convinced that single-payer healthcare* was the way to go. I had just heard doctors, nurses and an economist speak of how beneficial it would be for our nation to change to this kind of system, and to individuals’ financial situations. Last year over 60% of bankruptcies in the United States were caused by medical expenses. This is an issue that affects so many people, and yet it can be difficult to imagine change.
I began to speak to others about this, but was somewhat discouraged that most of them couldn’t imagine such a thing, since they had always paid so much for insurance and medical care. I found it really challenging to find a way to work with others in advancing this idea.
Early last year, I was invited to attend a meeting in York, PA, by a group concerning healthcare. It turned out that the group was called Put People First! PA, and the gentleman speaking, Eliel Acosta, said that PPF-PA advocated healthcare for all and wanted to establish a local chapter in York County. Here were people that were established a couple of years before and espoused my beliefs, so I decided to join them.
Today, we have a small group in our community organization, but it’s a beginning with good possibilities of growth. It is exciting that PPF-PA is going around this state of over 13 million people in an effort to build more local communities. As we grow, we will educate more residents, gain confidence and power to accomplish our goals. Together we will do this.
*A system of providing healthcare that is universal, free at the point of service and paid for through equitable tax contributions; that eliminates profiteering by insurance corporations, and controls medical costs through economies of scale.
“Activism is my rent for living on the planet.” – Alice Walker