"Single Payer"

Litchfield, CT, 8/30/09

Pro-Reform Demonstration

Litchfield, CT

Sunday, 8/30/09. A small group gathered on the Litchfield village green to demonstrate in favor of health care reform. The passing cars and motorcycles had mostly positive reactions with at least half honking or waving and something like one in twenty showing a negative response.

Art Exhibition

Roxbury, Connecticut

Don't Panic, It's Organic

West Hartford, CT

Some people at the farmer's market were paying attention to food instead of national political issues.

Tea Party

Hartford, CT

A rally last Saturday afternoon on Main Street about half a mile south of the Connecticut capital's downtown. Local landmarks like the United Technologies Corporation "Gold Building," the Old State House, and the Traveler's Insurance Company Tower can be seen upper right. In the crop (click image for larger view) you can read the extensive list of things the group was protesting. As with other "Tea Party" events I've observed around the state, about one car in five that passed the demonstrators and their signs responded positively, blowing the horn, waving, or giving a thumbs-up.

Canvassing

West Hartford, CT

Yesterday members of CCAG (Connecticut Citizen Action Group) spread out around the Hartford area gathering signatures in favor of "three bedrock requirements for real health care reform." The canvassers who spent a couple hours at the West Hartford farmer's market had a better than 50% success rate getting signatures from people they approached. A few people waved them off, but some others read the principles and complained they didn't go far enough, that nothing short of a single-payer system stands any chance of fixing the health care mess. Recent polls have shown that three-quarters of Americans are in favor of health care reform, and this unscientific sampling lined up nicely with that ratio.

West Hartford, CT

Opening Night

Washington Depot, CT

Artist's Reception

Washington Depot, CT

Demonstrators and Signs III

Torrington, Connecticut

Torrington, Connecticut

Demonstrators and Signs II

Bristol, CT

Bristol, CT

For foreign readers who aren't familiar with the system here, all Americans 65 years of age and over are enrolled in Medicare. It's a government-run, single-payer health care system. While not immune to abuse, it works well and is more cost effective than the private insurance sector, despite dealing with the elderly population which by definition needs more health services than the general population under 65. It's easy to see why those who profit from for-profit health care are against reform, but it's unclear why those already benefiting from a better system are opposed to extending something like it to the rest of the population.

Opening Reception II

Washington Depot, CT

Opening Reception I

Washington Depot, CT

Young and Old

Bristol, CT

As always, click on the picture to see a larger, 800-pixel view—makes it easier to read the signs.

More Signs

Torrington, CT

Demonstrators and Signs, I

Torrington, CT

Witches?

Litchfield, CT

OK. Now I'm really interested to follow the different agenda points that fill out this matrix. (As always, click on the picture to get a bigger—800 pixel—view, then hit your browser's return button to come back).

Demonstrating

Litchfield, CT

People have been demonstrating every Sunday afternoon on the Litchfield Town Green for nearly a decade. There seems to be a lull at the moment with only a couple of participants, but the crowds have been large at times in this small town that happens to be a County seat.

The demonstrators have always been a varied group espousing several different issues. These included questioning the official accounts of the 911 attacks, opposition to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and general opposition to the previous national administration. These groups sometimes drew small counter-demonstrations (see my Working Pictures Blog posts of 11/19-23/07). Ron Paul supporters are also in the mix. Leftists and Libertarians don't necessarily make comfortable protest partners. Perhaps it's New England politics on the local activist level. It seems as though this mix is confusing, but one of the demonstrators told me that passing drivers who used to give her the finger now show a thumbs-up. "And that's got to be a good thing."

I've been told of other places where people are getting together for demonstrations and discovering that the agendas they promote are not necessarily in consonance. Sounds like something I want to photograph.

Jester IV

Washington Depot, CT

Being a jester is hard work.

Jester III

Washington Depot, CT

Washington Depot, CT

Jester II

Washington Depot, CT