Nashville Turns Out for Single Payer

On short notice, about 45 people showed for an hour-long action in front of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee office on West End Ave here. The action included a 30- minute educational pickett line on the sidewalk along West End Ave. We had our banner "Our lives are wortth more than their profits", many hand-held signs and some Burma-shave-style signs that we placed along the city's busy street. We then marched down a drive-through for Blue Cross that took us to the front of the building where we hurled some appropriate chants.

We then heard from several speakers including Carol Paris, Arthur Sutherland-Tennessee coordiantor for Physicans for a National Health Care Program, Kathy McGregor with California Nurses Association and Middle Tennessee Veterans for Peace. Members of Serice Employees International Union also attended. SEIU represents workers at Metro General Hospital at Meharry, the city's only public hospital presently facing serious budget cuts.

-Warren Duzak