ACORN organizers collected 300 signatures outside of the Culture Café in University City on Friday of citizens showing their support for health care reform.
The event was without the shouting matches and violence that have taken place in some of the health care forums around the country, including some in the greater St. Louis area.
“A lot of folks have been feeling intimidated by the issue and they want to come out and show support for the president but they don’t want to endanger themselves, said Glenn Burleigh, St. Louis community organizer for ACORN.
“I kind of had a gentleman in an NRA kind of following me around after the Claire McCaskill one. I had my ACORN hat on and I was just there as an audience member, then he came up to me … and went on some short spiel about how I was a bad White person for being involved with ACORN,” Burleigh said. “The right wing uses ACORN as a dog whistle to ‘racist’ because we are a majority African American organization. While they can’t come out and say, ‘angry African American activist,’ they can say ACORN.”
South St. Louis resident Tim King is diabetic and uninsured. He describes himself as “uninsurable” because diabetes as a pre-existing condition prevents him from getting affordable health insurance coverage.
“When I try to get a quote from the private insurance agencies, I just can’t afford. It’s like $1,500 a month with a $1,000 deductible… I’ve had it since I was 18 … I’m 46 now, and I’ve only had it for two years since then,” King said.
King said he lives without his insulin much of the time, and what he is looking for out of health reform is an alternative to the private insurance companies.
“I feel like what’s wrong with me is curable, and it wouldn’t cost that much, but when I talk to them, I feel like … when they hear what I have, they are like ‘no, no –you’re going to cost us too much money.’”
Rubina Patton, co-owner of Diversity Gallery and Cultural Café – said there was a lot of misunderstanding about health care, even with people not realizing that Medicare is paid for by the government. Hosting the event is an opportunity to clarify and to learn.
“I think it’s good that we as a people begin to come together as human beings and start to support what is important,” Patton said.