Women Wake Up to Bad News on Healthcare Reform

With Veterans Day ahead, CodePink Peace activists brought a virtual graveyard to San Francisco Congressional homes to remind war funders of the tragic human cost to endless wars. They wore shirts and carried signs saying "Healthcare not Warfare".

While they drew outlines of bodies and wrote the names of recent victims in chalk in front of Speaker Pelosi and Senator Feinstein's respective homes, the topic of discussion turned to the healthcare bill passed by Congress late the previous night. Some people had not heard the news when they arrived at the early Sunday morning actions. The tragic news: children left behind as programs for their health and well being are targeted for cuts, and women's reproductive health at stake with provisions in the bill that block the use of federal subsidies for abortions.

Some calling for "healthcare not warfare" started at Pelosi's SF home at 9am, went to Feinstein's later in the morning, then joined a health care rally in front of City Hall in the early afternoon. Much was made of the congressional bill that is not only weak, but will actually put some women and children at greater health risk. While news headlines declared the legislation "historic" and a cause for great joy, many in San Francisco on Sunday were asking: Who is celebrating whose healthcare coverage?