Bess Tsaouse, of North Mankato, pointed out in the Free Press, that more and more, families are holding fundraisers and bakesales to raise money to pay their medical bills. "It’s great to have loving friends who hold bake sales to help us in our time of need, but is this what we really want as the only way to pay our medical bills — bake sales to help us live?" writes Bess, but "shouldn’t we all be free of the fear that if we have a health crisis we will be unable to pay for the care we need?"

To put it plainly, the Republican strategy for health care is fear. They are putting all their time and energy into scare tactics phrases such as "bureaucrat boogeymen" and "socialized medicine," but folks like Bess across Minnesota aren’t believing the hype. They know that health insurance reform can’t wait. As Bess put it:

Let’s stop shouting at town hall forums and printing negative editorials that pit us against each other. Let’s work together for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all Americans. This must include health care for all of us.

Organizing for America is compiling a list of health care-related events across Minnesota and you always can call your Members of Congress to voice your support for health insurance reform.

Bess’ full letter below the fold:

Are spaghetti feeds the best solution for paying our medical bills? Over the course of this summer, I have seen multiple notices advertising bake sales and spaghetti feeds to help local folks pay their medical bills.

Just the other day, I saw two such notices tacked right next to each other on a bulletin board. One was for a young man about to begin college classes, but he is now facing a life-threatening illness. The other for an older man with a chronic condition. These are our neighbors, our friends, our fellow Americans.

It’s great to have loving friends who hold bake sales to help us in our time of need, but is this what we really want as the only way to pay our medical bills — bake sales to help us live? Shouldn’t we all be free of the fear that if we have a health crisis we will be unable to pay for the care we need?

I have read many editorials and commentaries portraying the uninsured and underinsured as somehow “not us.” But they are us. This is the reason we need health care reform now. We are all only job loss or one severe illness away from a medical bill nightmare. This should not be about the young versus the old (as the editorial in The Free Press July 31 implied); Republicans against Democrats; us versus “them.”

Let’s stop shouting at town hall forums and printing negative editorials that pit us against each other. Let’s work together for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all Americans. This must include health care for all of us.