'Congressional Send-Off' healthcare rally draws nearly 200 energetic supporters

Nearly 200 energetic and vocal supporters of meaningful healthcare reform rejected the politics of fear and made their voices heard at a very successful 'Congressional Send-Off Rally for Healthcare Reform,' held Sept. 1 at the Amtrak Station in downtown Fresno.



In the midst of the healthcare-reform battle, Volunteers For Change-Fresno banded together with Organizing For America, Health-Access.org and a number of other groups, with the purpose of giving our Congressional representatives -- especially Rep. Jim Costa and Sen. Diane Feinstein -- a powerful reminder that we support meaningful healthcare reform with a strong public option.


Participants also filled two suitcases with stories about how the healthcare crisis has hurt them or their families, suitcases to be delivered to the offices of Rep. Costa and Sen. Feinstein.


As expected, a small crowd of approximately 15 Tea Partiers also showed up, conducting a small and mostly quiet counter-rally near ours. But despite a number of rude interruptions by the Tea Partiers -- those interruptions coming primarily from a solitary TPer employing a megaphone specifically to disrupt the pro-reform rally -- their voices and taunts were no match for the resolve of the participating supporters of meaningful reform.


Miss it? View our video of the rally above. If the video viewscreen is not visible, our video is available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5bDbik51tU.

A hearty "thank you" to all who participated! Let's win this fight!