Demonstrators support, protest Obama health care plan

By J.D. Long-García | Aug. 18, 2009 | The Catholic Sun

President Barack Obama addressed the Veterans of Foreign Wars Aug. 17 at the Phoenix Convention Center, but perhaps the bigger story was his reception outside.

Hundreds of supporters and protestors assembled on the corners outside the convention center, foisting signs with messages ranging from “AZ stands with Obama” to “My doctor is my choice.”

“We have a moral obligation to make health care available to everyone who needs it and wants it,” said Daniel Martinez, a parishioner at St. Mary Magdalene in Gilbert. “Ordinary people that are out there are hurting. We need to change what we have now and make it better.”

Faith Risolo, a parishioner at Resurrection in Tempe, joined Martinez and other Catholics that backed the president’s health care plan.

“This is a basic social justice piece. This is about the quality of life,” she said. “We hear people talking all the time about caring for the unborn, but we need to care about the people who are here regardless of their age, their color, their economic situation. This is social justice. This is who we are as Americans.”

While hundreds gathered to support President Obama, almost as many gathered to oppose him.

“We’re in so much debt now that my children’s children won’t be able to pay that debt off,” said Pat Todd, a Phoenix resident. “If we add health care to it, that’s almost the last nail in the coffin financially for our country.”

Many of the protestors opposed the president’s plan because they oppose the federal government having a bigger role in health care.

“What the people really need, more than anything else, is less government intervention, especially in health care,” Harry Mathews said. “Health reform yes, but not a total take over of the health care business.”

Saul Solis, a parishioner at St. Timothy in Mesa, came to support the president and health care reform, but expressed reservations about abortion funding.

“We have to make sure it does not pay for abortions and we have to change any clauses that it may have with respect to that,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean we don’t need reform.”

Solis echoed the U.S. bishops’, who recently recently launched a Web page promoting their support for health care policy that respects the dignity of the human person. The page, www.usccb.org/healthcare, includes letters from bishops to Congress, videos, facts and statistics about Catholic hospitals. The Catholic Church is one of the largest health care providers in the country.

“The bishops will continue to fight against the evil of abortion by all means available. But they have not demanded that urgently needed health care reform become a vehicle for advancing the pro-life cause, and they likewise believe it should not be used to advance the cause of abortion,” according to the Web site.

“In this sense, the bishops have asked that health care reform be ‘abortion neutral,’ this is, that existing laws and policies with regard to abortion and abortion funding be preserved, allowing health care reform to move forward and serve its legitimate goals,” the Web site reads.

The bishops’ position calls for:

• A truly universal health policy with respect for human life and dignity;
• access for all with a special concern for the poor and inclusion of legal immigrants;
• pursuing the common good and preserving pluralism including freedom of conscience and variety of options; and
• restraining costs and applying them equitably across the spectrum of payers.

Inside the convention center, the president addressed health care concerns with the veterans.

“One thing that reform won't change is veterans' health care,” he said. “No one is going to take away your benefits. That's the truth.”

Ralph Nee of Massachusetts, a veteran in town for the convention, was impressed with the president’s remarks.

“He picked up the VA budget before the VFW or anybody even talked to him,” he said. Increasing the budget, Nee said, would be a “big move” to support veterans in the United States.

Other veterans were less supportive.

“When everyone is standing there applauding, I’m standing there with my hands in my pockets. Does that tell you something?” said Alvin Weaver, a World War II veteran and a parishioner at Immaculate Conception in San Diego.

“I hope he does something. We need someone to do something,” he said. “He has the possibility doing it, but I don’t think he has the probability. That’s my problem.”