Religious Leaders, Union Members Remember Those Who Died Without Health Care

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California Labor Federation communications organizer Rebecca Greenberg reports on a vigil by San Francisco union members and the faith community that highlighted the nation’s broken health care system.

While holiday shoppers bustled joyously around San Francisco’s busy Union Square shopping district Friday night, a diverse group of religious leaders and health care advocates stood in stark contrast as they quietly gathered in the center of the square to solemnly commemorate the 45,000 Americans who lost their lives this year because they didn’t have health insurance.

As ministers, rabbis, Islamic, Buddhist and other spiritual leaders took turns reading out the names of the deceased, nearly 300 union members, health care advocates and passers-by stood in complete silence, candles flickering, to pay their respects to the victims of our broken health care system.

The silent interfaith processional—which wound through the streets of downtown San Francisco before arriving for the commemorative ceremony at Union Square—was a far cry from the loud, energetic rallies and protests that have encompassed the health care debate up until now. The somber tone of the event reflected the grave travesty of a system that allows one person to die every 12 minutes simply because they can’t get or afford insurance.

As the Rev. Cecil Williams said:

We are fighting for the soul of America. It will be tempting for Congress to get lost in the weeds of politics and succumb to the pressure to weaken reform, but we need them to remember that people count more than profits, and they cannot allow another 45,000 to die next year waiting for health care reform.

The event centered around the holidays as a season for giving, and religious leaders called on Congress to give the gift of affordable health care by passing a strong bill that includes a public option, doesn’t impose new taxes on benefits for working families and ensures employers pay their fair share for health care.

Many workers and members of the faith community shared stories about loved ones they’ve lost due to lack of insurance, and others spoke about their own struggles without health care. In a sad twist of fate, three of the uninsured individuals who were scheduled to share their personal stories fell ill and couldn’t make it to the event. But their absence further exemplified the dire and immediate need for real, comprehensive health care reform.

The Rev. Carol Been said that although “our country has lost its moral compass,”

we can find it again with health care reform. The debate around the bill has been challenging, but we are people of faith—we always have hope.

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