NOV '09 - The Nyack Villager

Under
Exposed
by Shel Haber
Health In is Land
e sound of hundreds of voices
singing came out of the early evening darkness.
eir song,
is land is your land, this land is my land,
from California to the New York Island ....
this land was made for you and me.
e song could be heard for blocks around
Nyack’s memorial park. It came at almost the
end of the 5-hour rally for Health Care for All.
During the afternoon hundreds of people had
gathered on the lawn to demonstrate their
support for health care reform. Many speakers
demanded that, as a nation, we must have
universal health care, and that no American
should be cast aside because of inability to pay
or because of a past or present heath problem.
No American should be driven into bankruptcy
to pay for a child’s hospital care.
Between speakers, singers sang the music of
America’s past, present and future.
Our US Congressman, Eliot Engel, said, “e
insurance companies like the way it is right
now—they compete against themselves. It's
collusion. We need the public option.
ree-quarters of the states
have only one insurance company
—maybe two. So they jack up the
rates ... If we had the public option
with a low premium, insurance
companies would be forced
to keep their premiums low in
order to compete. ey don't
want it. at's why they're against
the public option.” He said, “I will fight until
this country has health care for all its citizens.”
A local business woman said that, in the river
villages are hundreds who are self-employed.
Many small shops and businesss owners cannot
find the money to buy health insurance.
Alan Levin of Nyack, one of the ten original
organizers of the rally, said health care is a
human right, but that the existing for-profit
health insurance system has failed to keep
down costs and failed to deliver quality care to
all the people. Mr. Levin urged people to
“move forward and to recognize the love we
have, the caring we have for each other.”
A elderly lady held up a small handwritten
sign that read, “Would Jesus deny health care
to anyone?” A tall slim young man, from
Piermont, a stranger to her, leaned over and
kissed her cheek.
Shel Haber, a stage, film and television art director,
is co-publisher of e Nyack Villager. ✫
22 The Nyack Villager November, 2009
COMMUNITY NOTES start on page 14
ASSOC. OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN
• AAUW Book Club discusses e Dew Breaker
by Edwige Danticat at the Nanuet Barnes &
Noble. Call 535-3331 if you plan to attend.
urs, Nov 5 at 1pm.
• Great Decisions at New City Library will discuss
Cuba On the Verge. urs, Nov 5 at 7pm.
GREEN MEADOW WALDORF SCHOOL
307 Hungry Hollow Rd, Chestnut Ridge, NY.
More info: (845) 356-2514 or online at
gmws.org
• Nursery/Kindergarten Tea and Play
Wednesdays, Nov 4 & Nov 18, 1 to 2pm
• All-School Open House Families welcome.
Sun, Nov 8, 2 to 4pm.
• Saturday Story Hour
Register at lwolfe@gmws.org
Sat, Nov 14 from 10:30 to 11:30am
• High School Open Day
Tues Nov 17 from 8 to 11:30am
• Walk rough the Grades
For adults only; contact Patricia Owens.
Wed, Nov 18 from 9 to 11am
• All-School Introductory Session
For adults only; contact Patricia Owens. Register.
Starts promptly at 9am.
Fri, Nov 20 from 9 to 11am. ✫