A Message to Republicans Who Voted Against the Children's Health Bill
My name is Paul Simon.
I earn my living by writing and singing songs. It's a very old and low-tech profession that feels increasingly age-appropriate. I am honored to have the opportunity to express my opinions concerning SCHIP.
I am the father of four healthy children, knock on wood, but if they get sick or need medical attention I don't knock on wood; I take them to a doctor whose care and attention I am, fortunately, able to afford. Millions of American children do not receive the same medical care. They are uninsured.
Twenty years ago, I co-founded The Children's Health Fund with Dr. Irwin Redlener. Our organization provides mobile medical units with doctors and staff to serve the pediatric needs of poor communities across the United States. In the twenty years since we began, we have grown incrementally, but as of last year we had recorded over 1.2 million doctor/patient visits.
In 1992, Hurricane Andrew devastated a large portion of Southern Florida. Our medical units were there to help. When Hurricane Katrina lashed the Gulf Coast with an almost Biblical force, The Children's Health Fund had units working in those communities within a week. There was very little outside help -- no FEMA, no Red Cross.
But there were scores of mini-vans and trailers loaded with food and supplies from hundreds of churches around the country. I watched with wonder and admiration as the church people opened their hearts and got to work helping people on the Gulf Coast whose lives has been destroyed. They did not debate whether they could find a compromise or alternative way of helping. They opened their hearts and started to repair a dire emergency.
The president's veto of the re-authorization of SCHIP was a heartless act.
Thanks to groups like Families USA and the Children's Health Fund, Congress is getting closer and closer to overriding the President's veto -- and children of hard working American families are getting closer to receiving affordable health care through SCHIP.
I am asking those of you who supported the veto to reexamine your conscience, to find compassion in your heart for our most vulnerable and sweetest citizens -- our children. I am asking you to change your vote. If you do, I believe it will be one of the proudest days of your life.
Thank you,
Paul Simon
To learn more about this issue and to take action, please visit www.familiesusa.org
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
AMERICANS ALWAYS TRIED TO HELP THE NEEDY AND THIS IS A GREAT OF EXAMPLE CHILDREN IN NEED. AMERICANS HAVE A SOFT SPOT FOR THE UNDERDOG AND IN THIS CASE THE UNDERDOGS ARE THE CHILDREN.
I THINK THIS PRESIDENT AND HIS BUDDIES IN THE SENATE ARE NOT AS CARING AS THEY PRETEND TO BE.
Ya think?
How did the GOP become so mean to children?
They really are a bunch of "evil-doers".
Truly they are, but it's not just children.
This is further proof to me that the souless neo con's don't give a damn about America's future. The children of this nation, are the future for America.
It's funny how the media does not report that the program is not changing. It is still going to be there and funded at the scheduled growth already planned. All it did was stop even more spending by covering even more kids that really don't need the help.
It's funny how many people are for socialized medicine but have never had to use it. Why is it that people from other countries that have socialized medicine come here and pay for medical care if it's so great.
Here's my resolution coming from somebody that has experienced socialized medicine. If you like it so much, move to that country and you'll get your free medical care. You will soon find out that it's not such a great thing and will be running back here.
Start doing some actual research and quit listening to people who have know idea what they are talking about.
The biggest question I have...hav
Sorry, this is my first post here, but I'm trying to understand why everyone wants to destroy my country and everything the original framers of our country fought and died for along with every soldier after that. There are plenty of other countries around the world that have the things you want already in place, but only one that has things the way I like it. Please leave my country alone.
Well if you have experienced socialized medicine that means you are not from this country! And unless you have worn the Uniform of the US military do not say anything about soldiers fighting and dieing. What are our soldiers dieing for in IRAQ more corporate profits? I am a soldier, I have fought and almost died for the right of every American to have equal rights to everything inculding healthcare.
I am an American that has lived abroad, so I do know about this country and what our great soldiers have died for. I appreciate your service and if not for medical problems may well have been at your side. I agree on Iraq as far as how it's being handled. The problem is we have broken something and now have to pay for it. I wish our polititians would let the military do there job instead of using our fine men and women as political pawns.
As far as medical, I will say it again... nobody goes without health care. Go to the hospital and you will be taken care of.
Free speech pal! You needn't have served to have an informed opinion about war. In fact, history has shown that soldiers and officers have been just as wrong as everyone else about politics and conflict. I do think you deserve special consideration for your experience, but we must listen to all points of view. I think all veterans should get a double vote.
Everyone does have equal rights to health care. They have the equal right to buy it.
While I find your sacrifice admirable, I think you have to understand, I have seen both sides of this, have lived both in the US and in Europe. I am an Italo American who knows what you faught for, wasn't what you assumed. Yes, you did fight for our rights, but actually, it was for other's greed and you were used as a puppet, a means to and end. had this really been about fighting terrorism, we could have done that much cheaper, from the side lines, with brains, not human lives lost. The surplus should have gone to funding healthcare for all that would yes, treat those coming from war torn countries as well. Sad fact is this, it wasn't about that. You were lied to, used. Mainstream won't tell you this, can't, they were gagged. Time to listen up and read between the lines kiddo.
I will never slap a soldier verbally or other, too much respect here. But you need to wisen up. Don't buy into the military lie, Like stock brokers will tell you anything to get you suckered in, then damn, too bad. This war was a farce, a cover up and the money should have gone to developing socialized medicine.
I feel empathy for you but I think that you have a whole to learn about America; not only the current climate but it's history as well. Welcome to America but read, listen, and learn. Thanks for the post.
If w crashes his mountain bike and is injured he will go to Bethesda Naval Medical Center on our $$. With his high salary he can afford private medical insurance instead of government paid, i.e. socialized, care. Congress, all very well paid, have benefits under their government paid plan. Why do these highly paid people have these benefits and poor children cannot because of lack of funding. Is this another socialism for the wealthy and capitalism for the poor situations?
No, it's an example of employer paid benefits, which are part of the compensation package.
"Start doing some actual research and quit listening to people who have know idea what they are talking about."
You should take your own advise.
What type of Health Care do the politicians have?
Got Rope?
Thanks, bassnman, for your thoughtful post. I agree heartily - unfortunately, you will find that thoughtful is not welcome here. Only those who hate Bush are heard. This site is one of the home ports of political bigotry. Sad.
I love Paul Simon and think his charitable efforts are so commendable - as he said in his blog, churches and American citizens are very charitable as well - increasing government every time we turn around is not the way this country was meant to be.
Yes it is what government is supposed to be. The free markerters if they had their was would return America to the days of 1900.
No health care.
Poor houses.
Working poor and poverty stricken.
Wealtrhy class and a small management class.
The Thug party and those who support them would LOVE to see a return to the days of working children. Get sick? YOU'RE FIRED! Want a vacation? YOU'RE FIRED!Want a safe working environment? YOU'RE FIRED.
This is a good program. Medical costs in America have gotten out of hand completely.
Then why aren't churches helping with these kids healthcare? How can you be a Paul Simon fan??? He writes and sings about just causes, and you apparently have no idea of what is just.
Hey Paul, Still crazy after all these years?
Here's to you Mr. Simon!
Here we go with the trolls personally attacking anyone who criticizes the Republicans or President Bush. You finally get to say something to one of the finest singer/songwriters this country has ever produced and you insult him for thoughtfully expressing his views on an important topic. You must be proud of yourself.
How pleased I am to see Paul Simon posting here at Huffpo. Congratulations are due for his fine career in music and humanitarian works, most notably the Children's Health Fund.
My two cents on the veto?....S
As to public outrage...
To paraphrase Lily Tomlin....
Wow. As a Canadian, the concept of uninsured healthcare for children seems borderline inhumane. We are not talking about college funds or a free cellphone program - not clothing funds, textbooks nor subsidized camping trips - not even guaranteed free food supply, but basic healthcare - simple inoculations or resetting and casting of broken bones or heaven forbid birth defects? That's shameful. A disgrace. I don't care what anyone says. I've seen enough in life to know that no one chooses the road that can't provide for their family. For the rare occurrence that happens, why would you make the child suffer? Also, the idea that this is "charity" is repulsive. Healthcare for children isn't charity its maintenance for the nations future.
I have no children. I don't think I will ever choose to have children yet I gladly contribute through tax to maintain schools, healthcare and activities because others may not be able to. Even though my immediate family may never use those resources I'm glad they are around and in use.
Heartless doesn't begin to cover the descriptive names theses selfish people deserve.Yo
Yes, this is how it goes in the Land
of the Free & the Home of the Brave.
Correction: Children lacking healthcare in the richest country in the world IS inhumane.
Period.
right but at least 2 gay men can't get married here and we have cheap gas. So there!
This is good humor. No child ever goes without medical treatment in this country. In actuality nobody in this country gets denied health care if they actually get up up and go to the hospital. It would appear by everyone's comments that we are refusing health care daily to the neediest of our people. There is a program called medical assistance. Go in and apply, I did and it works.
The frequenting of hospitals for primary care is one of the largest problems plaguing our health care system today. Yes, there are many programs out there to help those who cannot afford care, and that's great. They are funded through tax dollars as well as generous grants from organizations who believe people should take care of each other. Is that socialized medicine? In addition, there is not enough of it.
The more people who get up and go to the hospital when their issue is not an emergency, the more money that is lost as a result, the more crowded ERs are, the longer people wait and the worse the situation becomes. Look at Los Angeles. There is a need for case management to properly care for people over time so they know their options when they need medical care but also to reduce their need for care. That case management is not being provided by insurance companies or by profit driven hospitals.
There are a lot of great programs out there, but they are struggling and they are isolated. At least with a universal system, no matter how it's constructed, we can develop consistent EMR and maintain a web of communications that will reduce administrative costs, inappropriate ER visits, mishandled charity care dollars, etc. and take care of the children who are in fact going without treatment in this country every day.
Well said.I just wish americans had the same attitude!
Actually that's bullshit.
People in this country die everyday because of refusal of hospitals to perform surgeries and provide care if the people don't have the money.
So spare me the total BULLSHIT about everyone will be taken care of. IT's just not true. You need to do some research.
Children and adults die everyday because hospitals and doctors won't work unless their enourmous costs are covered.
This message should be made into a natioal commerical and shown on every network and printed in every newspaper. Those that voted against and support Bush no matter what he does should be made to feel ashamed of their actions.
They will vote against it again.
And their constituency will cheer for more sick kids.
If the Democrats would send a Bill to President Bush with provisions similiar to what he asked for he would sign it. How can anyone deny that the Liberals are using this veto to gain political points. They hoped he would veto the bill when they sent it to him.
bush only likes to sign bills that promise to kill and waste.
Wrong! The bill that Bush wants is a lousy $5 million, which does not expand the coverage on whit. The Dems have already compromised from $50 million to $35 million. Although not ideal, the compromise would actually would provide coverage for millions of kids that are not currently insured.
Who is being dishonest here? What won't you Bushies espouse to prop up this lack of leadership? Bush is the one that had every intention of using this as a political ploy. It was supposed to help fire up the conservative base that has been pissed with his spending like a drunken sailor. So he picks kids health care to prove his "financial conservative" bone fides! What a prick!
Oh, and real, honest conservatives aren't buying it. Only loyal Bushies (that's you and a dwindling 27%)
27%? Wednesday night's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" said 22%! Also- I agree with your comment, FastMovingCloud, but it's actually Billion w/ a B- either way, it's still not enough, as you stated.
Oh blow it out your ass. Bush is the one playing politics. He is against this bill because he sees it as a step toward socialised medicine. That is pure politics.
I hope someday you will find a soul.
Obviously, we should have GWB write our laws also. So much more efficient that way.
Wrong, we would prefer that he signed it, and we would praise him for it, although we'd still oppose him for the Iraq war and many other sins. If he were a decent president, then we wouldn't need to score political points.
How can a self confessed christian turn his back on children in need????
This is further proof that baby bush is christian, only because he says he is one. He sure doesn't act like one. I hope doofus isn't a christian either.
Hey doofus, don't let me hear you talking about morals, because you have none.
When we spend less money on munitions than healthcare, America will become a world leader again. Meanwhile, we can continue to delude ourselves that we are the most compassinate and civilized of nations.
and when we spend more money on building schools then building prisons.
Did you intend to say, "...then building prisons," or did you mean to say, "...than building prisons?" Your meaning changes significantly depending on which. I certainly hope you meant "than".
We don't think we're the most compassionate and civilized, just the most free. We'll delegate compassion and civilization to France.
Thank you Paul and your organization. It's too bad this WH has other pressing items on their top ten list, children being at the bottom. I hope the votes can be had to override the President's veto.
Maybe we should care about all of our children, not just the sick ones. But we should care about them too. I just don't like the hypocracy that a child is only a child when it is politically beneficial, but it is ok to subject a child of 12 to state sanctioned child abuse in the adult prison system. The same lawmakers who are all gushy about the little 12 year old boy in the SCHIP ad is the same age as the little 12 year old boy given Zoloft who was prosecuted under henious laws in his state that allow children to waive Miranda and be interrogated without parent or adult or counsel present. The courts allow corporate giants like Pfizer to hide their clinical tests and not allow that evidence in court when it comes time to defend a child of 12 who does something so unspeakable that it is obvious there can be no other explanation. Those records are kept away from the jury because Pfizer didn't want the jury to know. Their only explanation was that the child of 12 had turned evil, overnight. I would like to see some consistency in caring out our young, vulnerable children in this country. But then it's the same lawmakers who want to veto the SCHIP who make these repugnant laws that throw our children in the trash heap with the stroke of a pen.
Instead of complaining about all the wrongs,you have to take them one fight at a time.Right now the SCHIP program is the fight. You can never change anything if you take it on all at once.The Republicans have been in charge of this country for 12 years. The Democrats only 9 months and just barely. Do you really think they can undo all these injust laws in such a short time when they have a Republican President who Veto's everything good they want to do and is backed up by his Republican croneys in Congress? As far as paying for this program instead of taxing just cigarettes, let us put a 10 cents per pack on cigarettes, a 10 cents per gallon tax on all alchoholic beverages sold in the US and a 10 cents per gallon tax on all carbonated sodas sold in the US. These are the 3 main causes of health issues in the US. This would generate about 150 billion dollars per year and would distribute the cost across the entire population. I think we all need to stick together and fight this fight. After all what better thing to fight for than our chilgren!
You forgot the twenty years prior that Dems drove the US into the dirt.
The major pharmaceutical companies don't care about anyone even approaching the "poverty level" since they can't buy their drugs anyway (if they care about people at all). The only reason they cared about the child (and really it was the outcome of the trial they cared about) you mentioned is because it affects their ability to sell their drugs. When you use the word 'we' , it sounds like you are talking about all Americans; last time I checked, most Americans seem to care a great deal about all children. It is our government that has abandoned the helpless and the poor in favor of greed.
Paul, thanks for all of the beautiful music you have given us throughout the years. You're the best.
I would just like to say that children as young as 10, 11, 12, 13, & 14 (middle school age)are treated as children in this country until they commit a crime, then they are an adult. In many states no hearing is required, just the stroke of a pen by a prosecutor. They get tried in adult court and get adult sentences in adult prisons. I know 3 who are serving LWOP. All gave confessions without parent or adult or lawyer present. The appeals courts didn't care. I think we can be quite hypocritical about our children. A 12 year old child like Grame Frost is portrayed as the poor little 12 year old vulnerable child that he is, until let's say he is put on adult doses of Zoloft and Paxil, and commits a henious crime. Suddenly the cute little 12 year old is an evil monster. Nevermind that Pfizer knew in it's own clinical tests that its drug caused aggression and intoxication in children and now has a black box warning. The 12 year old child is doing a 30 year prison sentence and is now in a penitentiary at age 18. This is one example.
Don't change the subject. This thread is directly related to the article above. Please stay on topic.
"there were scores of mini-vans and trailers loaded with food and supplies from hundreds of churches around the country. I watched with wonder and admiration as the church people opened their hearts and got to work helping people on the Gulf Coast whose lives has been destroyed. They did not debate whether they could find a compromise or alternative way of helping. They opened their hearts and started to repair a dire emergency.
Exactly...
Please stop saying people are heartless when they disagree with expanding SCHIP. I am surrounded by selfless individuals who disagree with SCHIP but invest a huge amount of time (and money) volunteering to better other people's lives. They have a different point of view and don't deserve to be labeled 'heartless'.
The proper place for government is to ensure the proper workings of the country's infrastructure.
And the health of the population is part of that infrastructure. We cannot compete with the industrialized world without world class transportation and communication within the country. We cannot compete economically against the rest of the world without a healthy and educated population. Health and education is something the rest of the industrialized world gives to their citizens.
Don't believe me? Ask GM. Ask Ford. Ask United Air Lines. Ask Boeing.
I appreciate your response, but I respectfully disagree. Your argument of 'giving' health to American citizens because the 'rest of the industrialized world' does so we can compete economically is seriously flawed. There are negative consequences to the government 'giving' health. The more we rely on the government to 'give' the less we will be able to compete. The government's involvement in health care is a huge reason for the high costs, and expanding this program is a big mistake and will hurt America.
Falling bridges and failing health- Gawd, what a time to be an American.
WebGuy: Private charity have long been a shining example of what is best about America and Americans in general. However, private charity has never been able to cover all the needs in our society; therefore government takes up the slack. If your argument were to win out, why not abolish all government except for the military and the police, and let private organizations do everything else?
"Private charity have long been a shining example of what is best about America and Americans in general."
I completely agree.
"why not abolish all government except for the military and the police, and let private organizations do everything else?"
Most Americans agree the government is too big, and should be significantly reduced. The country would be better off if we abolished more government programs.
I strongly disagree. To deny children a healthy start in life IS HEARTLESS.
Most of the money will come from smokers. they propose to add a 60 or 70 cent tax per pack.
I am a smoker, and even I am for schip. I would gladly pay a little more for my addiction, if I know that the proceeds will help ensure a healthy start for our nation's children.
Anybody that is against this bill is not only heartless, but they would be stupid as well.
Children are this nation's future. Provided we will still HAVE a future.
Stupid and heartless? I see. If children are our future, wouldn't it be a good idea to set a good example and stop smoking? Your better health would put less of a strain on our health system.
How about christians, any of those around you?? Don't ever talk about morals and family values. Don't ever say you are a christian, because a genuine christian would be all for this bill. Something about a guy named Jesus saying something about helping the lesser among us???
Thank you Mr Simon, for your well put request, your help for children in need, and your music.
The Tax is Wrong
If they are OUR children then WE should pay for it. How convenient that the politicians chose to dump a societal responsibility on a minority (smokers). It's the NIMBY solution- a popular solution in modern America. I want something- just don't dump it in my lap or back yard. Kind of like the NeoCons borrowing money to finance their tax cuts for the wealthy.
As a smoker, i'm For the tax.
Cigars for 42 years and no end in sight. I'll support the tax. Only insects eat their young.
Same here. Why are all the neos so upset about this. The majority of the money will come from smokers, and I would gladly pay a little more for a pack, and see that our children are allowed a shot at a healthy start in life.
Those who oppose this, not only have no heart, but they don't have much brain either.
"N.I.M.B.Y
Nuff said.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
