While you’re thinking of your mother on Mother’s Day, think about the health care options your mother should have once she is 65. One of the greatest gifts we can leave for our parents is the defeat of the Medicare privatization plan that conservatives want to foist on the country.
That’s why Jewish Funds for Justice has created a Facebook campaign to help send the message that children who love their parents will not want Medicare turned into a private insurance voucher program.
Here’s the message behind their “Worried Sick About Medicare” campaign: The House has passed a budget that divides families – those over 55 get Medicare while those under 55 get a voucher program that will end up doubling the amount seniors pay for insurance, sending the elderly back into poverty. Though now some Congress members are backing away from their plan, we can’t allow them to slip Medicare changes in through the back-door. Parents and grandparents should not sit idly by as Medicare is destroyed for the next generation. Our families stand united.
The Facebook page asks older people to show they support Medicare for their kids and grandkids by posting a picture to the page – this weekend, particularly mothers (either a pic of just them or a pic with their kids/grandkids/families). If they want, the mothers could hold a sign saying something “Another mother for Medicare” or “My kids deserve Medicare too!” though a sign is not required.
You can also show support by “liking” the Facebook page, sharing pictures and so on. There is a link for people to send their photos to their member of Congress with a message (“This Mother’s Day, I want you to know that our family won’t allow you to destroy Medicare for the next generation.”)
Groups have been asked to promote the Facebook page through emails, Twitter and other social networks.
It’s one more way to continue to fight to save a vital program and to push back against the intergenerational divisions that the conservatives are trying to create to undermine support for Medicare.
