Montgomery County Healthcare Rights Committee held its first ever action on August 8th in Willow Grove on the theme of Where do we go from here? It was a call to get organized after an incredible summer of multiracial protest. We highlighted the three interrelated crises of racist police violence against the poor and people of color, inaccessible healthcare, even during the pandemic, and an economic system which has left millions hungry and homeless and facing extreme poverty.
Our Put People First! PA (PPF-PA) speakers included three new members. Nineteen-year-old Melanie Copman spoke passionately about her chronic condition which requires medication costing $19,000 per month, and her insurance that refuses to pay, leaving her sick and un medicated for eight months. She also proclaimed that since she found PPF-PA, she was emboldened to speak in public for the first time and, and urged others to do the same. “The message is clear,” she said, “getting organized is one of the most important actions that one can take.”
Our newest member of only two weeks, Jenn Ware, spoke about having her pain dismissed in the healthcare system because she is African American. She commented on the Action, “Though small, it was mighty and encouraging to me and showed me that there are people in Montgomery County who believe in the mission of PPF-PA and are ready to engage.”
All speeches can be found at facebook.com/montcohrc.