In this issue Welcome Readers P.1 Health Care Reform P.2

Is it Healthcare or is it Racism P.3 Not What The Critics Expected P.4

September 12, 2009

Welcome Readers

ISS UE

19

VOL. 2

On September 11,1977

Roots, a mini-series based on

Alex P. Haley ’s novel, Roots,

received several awards at

the 19th Annual Emmy .

Roots depicted Haley’s family

history in Africa and America.

On September 11, 1966,

Henry W. McGee was ap-

pointed as the first Black

Postmaster of Chicago, IL

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Our Review.

(PBS)

A Bronx Princess on

final page

The Populace Now Volume 2 Issue 19 Page 2

Health Care Reform

health re-

form, as we

know it. It's

simple, the

old system no longer works and has-

n't for some time now. Statistics

show that Medicare will be in the

red in the next 8-10 years. Mean-

while, the

cost of health

care is going

up (insurance

p o l i c i e s ,

medications,

doctors fees,

etc) and salaries

are going down

as people are

taking massive

pay cuts and

losing employ-

ment everyday.

What caught my

attention most

were the physi-

cians and pa-

tients telling

their experiences

and bringing ideas to help remedy

the current problems rather than

By Buffy Griffin for The Populace Now

Health Reform has

been the heated topic

over the past few

months as it greatly

affects everyone.

Strong opinions and

fears have been ex-

pressed in numerous town hall meet-

ings and other forums.

While many are in

disagreement on how

the change should be

made, most, if not all

are in agreement that

a change is imperative

and should sooner than later be im-

plemented.

I had the privilege to listen in on a

few town hall meetings herring hear

from Obama's (health reform) ad-

ministration, physicians and those

receiving health care. Mixed emo-

tions and inappropriate behavior are

certainly less desired hindrances to

progress for the many people need-

ing assistance with the rising costs

of health care.

It seems as though fear of change is

what has many in opposition. Even

though change, is what’s needed for

pointing fingers and playing the

blame game. Doctors are on board

to help ease the cost and still pro-

vide quality heath care offering

funding alternatives and open to

ideas that may work for all in-

volved. Still no agreement has been

made on this long on-going prob-

lem.

People are literally dying each day

while congress is

battling back and

forth. Where are

the priorities at

this point? Why is

there so much op-

position instead of

progression? What

amazes me most is

we can pay enter-

tainers and ball

players of various

sports millions of

dollars but can’t

find a way to acquire resources to

keep our country healthy!

Ronnie Bush

Third Ward Alderman

815-233-1027 (home)

815-238-8530 (cell)

rbush@cityoffreeport.org

-People are literally dying

each day while congress is

battling back and forth.-

Capitol building Washington, D.C.

Volume 2 Issue 19 The Populace Now Page 3

By LeNie Adolphson for The Populace Now

During the historical

presidential cam-

paign of 2008, then

Senator Obama ran

on a campaign of

hope and change,

clearly, the majority

of American people sought change

as proven by President Obama’s

extraordinary victory. During the

campaign, healthcare was a major

theme. The idea

of healthcare re-

form in the

United States is

not new. Health-

care has been a

major issue for

sixty years.

Harry Truman sought to enact

healthcare reform and it never oc-

curred. In later years, Richard

Nixon enacted some reforms, but

the problems of the uninsured,

high deductibles, and highhanded

insurance policies remained in

force. Bill and Hillary Clinton also

sought to reform healthcare in

1993 and they too failed. The key

goal of ensuring that all Americans

receive healthcare has crashed and

burned repeatedly. At this time,

there are over forty million Ameri-

cans without health insurance.

Moreover, high deductibles prevent

many with insurance from seeking

care.

Once a medical crisis occurs, the

uninsured languish in emergency

rooms for hours. Those with major

illnesses normally die sooner than

those with insurance. Ironically,

the uninsured are very costly, since

the emergency room is the most

expensive form of medical treat-

ment. However, while everyone

admits that the healthcare system

needs reformed, a funny thing has

happened on the way to reform. The

healthcare debate has dissolved into

mob scenes and brawls. Why? Obvi-

ously, insurance companies resist

mandates and new regulations.

Furthermore, some members of

Congress receive large financial

contributions from insurance com-

panies. Consequently, they encour-

age the mobs to disrupt and inter-

rupt any genuine discussions about

h e a l t h -

care. How-

ever, over the

last few

weeks, it is

a p p a r e n t

that there is

another more potent and ugly face

to the healthcare debate. This is the

face of hate.

Many of the individuals at the

town halls despise President

Obama. Many of the town-hall pro-

testers have taken their lead from

radio show host Rush Limbaugh

who proudly proclaimed during

President Obama’s inauguration

that he hoped President Obama

would fail. It is clear from the signs

at the rallies that the protesters are

more upset that a black man is in

the White House than the proposed

healthcare bill. Undeniably, these

mobs consist of the same type who

question if Barack Obama is an

American citizen. These are the

same mobs that went to Sarah

Palin rallies and shouted, “Kill

him.” The so-called healthcare

town hall meetings reveal that for

many attendees, the meetings are

not a true discussion of healthcare

policies but a scrap. Senators and

congressional representatives who

host these events experience people

screaming and shouting. Obviously,

the mobs are out in force not to talk

about healthcare but to prevent it

from ever occurring. Paradoxically,

many of the individuals screaming

the loudest at these forums are on

Medicare, which by the way is gov-

ernment healthcare.

There are organized groups such as

Freedom Works, which is dedicated to

preventing healthcare reform. Free-

dom Work’s website opens with “Help

us defeat Obamacare.” Freedom

Works and others like them are whip-

ping individuals into frenzies about

“pulling the plug on grandma” death

panels, and lies about the healthcare

bill. The truth is that we have a

healthcare system that does not work

for many Americans. For many, it is

too expensive, inaccessible, and un-

sympathetic. This is a crisis for the

uninsured part time worker in Free-

port, Illinois to the waiter with cancer

in Des Moines, Iowa. One must won-

der where these uninsured people are

and why we have not heard their sto-

ries and struggles at the town hall

meetings. We have only heard from

those who have a plan of hate and

obstruction.

This issue is about the forty million

uninsured and the thirty million un-

der-insured who pray every day that

they stay healthy. If healthcare fails

again, it will be a victory for the hat-

ers and those who have become

wealthy on the current system. Even

the town-hall brawlers will lose in the

end once they see their premiums rise

and services drop. Nevertheless, if

healthcare fails yet again the Democ-

rats and President Obama will cer-

tainly have a political defeat. How-

ever, the real losers will be the

American people who voted for hope

and change.

Is it Healthcare or is it Racism

-Freedom Work’s website

opens with “Help us defeat

Obamacare.”-

By Patrick A. Sellers for The Populace Now

for your child, but please do not

continue to allow your own per-

sonal feelings or the persuasive

power of the media to control your

ability to think logically.

It is a shame that some

parents did not allow their

children to view President

Obama’s address to school

aged children. What did

they think he was going to say? Chil-

dren are not policy makers; they are not

legal voters, so why would the President

attempt to push any form of political

agenda on them?

The thought process of some people

have been contami-

nated by politicians

and this is a clear

example of one those

crazy phenomena in

which people are

lead by off-beat politicians that just so

happen to be in conjunction with loud

m o u t h m e d i a p e r s o n n e l .

It is apparent that things have gotten

out of hand when you have an opposing

politicians accusing the President of

attempting to “Brainwash” children!

How long will people allow

fear tactics to control their psy-

che? Could it be that every ri-

diculous accusation that comes

across the media, spoken at ral-

lies, preached at church or dis-

cussed in a public forum will be

held as the gospel truth? We

will never advance as a country,

if members of Congress and

certain media personalities are

determine to undermine the

efforts of the

President.

To the peo-

ple that did

not allow

their children to view the Presi-

dent’s address, you and your

child missed a power, thought

provoking and encouraging

speech. I totally understand

that you as a parent reserve the

right to do what you feel is best

Not What The Critics Expected

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-How long will people allow

fear tactics to control their

psyche?-

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President Obama addressing students

This film is great! This is definitely

one of those publications that you

simply must watch! The story is

about a young teen age girl born to

Ghanaian parents in the Bronx. This

young lady is no push-over; she is

smart, sassy, college bound and truly

a high-achiever.

With college life and freedom so

near, she rebels against the rules of

her mother; with tensions between

them she decides to flee to her fa-

ther, a chief in Ghana.

Her American way of thinking, her

strive for independence and dreams

of success conflicts with her father’s

traditional African values. The story

will inspire both parents and chil-

dren alike, this is one film you and

your family will truly enjoy. A

Bronx Princess will air on Sep-

tember 22, 2009.

Ratings = 5 out of 5

A Bronx Princess

Airing September 22, 2009 on PBS

Our Review By The Populace Now