From the Nashville Peace & Justice Center
WHAT YOU CAN DO (scroll down)
MAY BE 3 DAYS AWAY FROM LONGEST SIT-IN AT A GOVERNOR’S OFFICE IN U.S. HISTORY
The fight for health care rights, disability rights, and civil rights has a long history in the United States. NPJC in-house researchers are scanning US History to help provide a political context for this Sit-In and also to determine what has been the longest sit-in at a Governor’s office in the United States. Please share any information that you may know with Matt at the Nashville Peace & Justice Center.
So far, the longest sit-in that we have learned about is 27 Days in the California Governor’s Office. To learn specifically about the struggle for the rights of people with disabilities go to the Memphis Center for Independent Living. (scroll down)
PRIVATE DUTY NURSING REMOVED FROM CUTS!!!
Glenn Barnhill, TennCare Enrollee, lead Sit-In Participant and Tennessean who is paraplegic on a ventilator has been leading the fight with other enrollees to hold Governor Bredesen to his word that he would not eliminate Private Duty Nursing for him and over 120 others.
Through his activism at the Sit-In, continual follow up by other TennCare enrollees and supporting organizations we have just learned that the Administration is going to remove Private Duty Nursing from the long list of services that are set to be cut. The exact numbers are not certain but this will save the lives and deeply impact the quality of life of at least 200 people on ventilators and Tennesseans who have severe mental disabilities, including those with Mental Retardation.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, NASHVILLE HOMELESS VISIT SIT-IN
Yesterday, the Nashville Homeless Power Project organized a group of 15 homeless individuals to join the sit-in in solidarity. They came and greeted TennCare Enrollees Pam Beziat, Glen Barnhill and others and share in their common experience. Howard Allen of the Power Project shared, “The poor peoples fight and our fight for health care is the same.
I am homeless and I don’t even have health insurance. With these cuts there are going to be a whole more Tennesseans in my boat.” Emma McCloud, sporadically homeless and TennCare enrollee became the fifth homeless person to stay the night at the Capitol as she stayed the night last night.
FOOD AND WATER STILL NOT ALLOWED INTO CAPITOL
According to Capitol Policies, State Trooper do have the right to not allow food and water into public space for non-authorized events. Sit-In Participants view this as an effort to decrease Tennesseans ability “to assemble together for their common good, to instruct their representatives, and to apply to those invested with the powers of government for redress of grievances…” as afforded by Section 2.3 of the Tennessee State Constitution.
TennCare enrollees who have chronic illnesses and are now mandated to find other means of health care also see this as an added obstacle to exercising their rights as citizens. Nonetheless, as one of the original Sit-In participants and ADAPT member, Randy Alexander shared, “The games they are playing with us within the Capitol are nothing compared to the fear and direct harm that hundreds of thousands of our brothers and sisters are going through because of their loss of TennCare.”
HOW YOU CAN HELP…
1. CALL, FAX & EMAIL GOVERNOR BREDESEN’S OFFICE
Phone: 615.741.2001, Fax: 615.532.9711, Email: phil.bredesen@state.tn.us
Thank him for the good sense to continue Private Duty Nursing and call on him to continue to move in that spirit with the other 900,000 plus Tennesseans who remain scared for their lives.
2. CALL, FAX & EMAIL YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS
http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/government/elected.html
Let them know about those that you know who will be affected in your community and that you want to know what they are going to do to preserve TennCare for their constituents. Let us know what they say with an email to matt@nashvilllepeacejustice.org. This helps us to determine who is supporting us and who we need to work on.
3. STAY THE NIGHT AT THE CAPITOL.
CALL THE SIT-IN PHONE AT (615) 485-7739
Call the Capitol Phone and let them know the day you want to spend the night.
* You must arrive by 3:30.
* You will not be allowed to bring in any extra clothes, blankets or pillows
* You will NOT be allowed to bring food, water MAY be okay.
* Do wear extra clothes as a way to bring in what you need.
* Do bring bathroom needs
* Bring family members, friends, peers, etc
4. COME TO THE NIGHTLY VIGIL AT 9PM
Vigil is held just outside the Capitol, Parking on Capitol Property. 7th & Charlotte
5. CALL SIT-IN FOLKS AND LET THEM KNOW YOU SUPPORT THEM!
CALL THE SIT-IN PHONE AT (615) 485-7739
More info:
Tennessee Health Care Campaign
TennCare Protest Coverage:
Previous TN Guerilla Women Posts
GeoTennCare
Memphis Center for Independent Living (scroll down)
Sharon Cobb
Tennessee Independent Media
Tags: tenncare
