Bob McCarty Writes

A crowd of more than 300 gathered at Memorial Plaza outside the St. Louis County (Mo.) Government Building in Clayton Saturday afternoon as part of the Million Med March protest against health care reform measures now under consideration in the nation’s capitol.

Medical professionals, many of whom donned white coats, were joined at the rally by “regular Joes” (i.e, people who described themselves as “concerned citizens” and “patients”) as well as a handful of elected officials and wannabe officeholders.  All came to express opposition to government-run health care.

With Dr. Carolyn Martin serving as emcee, the rally began at noon with the playing of the national anthem, recitation of the pledge of allegiance and a moment of silence for those who died earlier this month at Fort Hood.

Dr. Dan Windsor was the first to address the crowd.  He began by acknowledging that he was “outside of his comfort zone” as the organizer of the event, one of at least 21 taking place in cities across the country.

Thanks to registered nurse Stephanie Rubach and medical researcher Fred Sauer Jr., he said, the event attracted the attention of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals from across Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois who then came to the rally.

Then he got to the heart of the matter, pointing to survey results here and here as evidence that medical professionals share grave concerns about the direction Congress is taking the health care debate in this country.

“We have to do something, because this world is upside down and sideways,” Windsor said, recalling a conversation about health care reform he had had with his wife, Virginia, two months earlier.

After noting that his involvement in the effort wasn’t about his own future as a doctor as much as it was the future of his three daughters and 10 grandchildren (two of whom were born this year), he compared himself to the kid who saw the flag had fallen to the ground, picked it up and proceeded to carry it forward, he said getting involved in the national debate was the right thing to do.

Windsor concluded by saying everyone — from doctors and nurses to physical therapists and patients — had to “get off the sidelines if we’re going to do anything about health care reform.”

Dr. John Gragnani, a rehabilitation medicine specialist, told the crowd he got so upset with the bureaucracy he faced every day that he quit his private practice and began focusing his efforts on helping traumatic brain injury patients at the Veterans Administration Hospital in St. Louis.

Asked later to respond to claims the VA is a perfect example of what government-run health care would be like if bills being pushed by Democrats in Congress become law, he didn’t dispute those claims.

“I think the VA is a classic example of government bureaucratic interference,” Gragnani said, adding, “If it wasn’t for the fact that I come here for the veterans, I don’t think I’d come here at all, because the bureaucracy would drive me insane.”

Perhaps the most-entertaining speaker of the day was Dr. Jean Burle, a chiropractor from Warrenton, Mo., who used an anatomy class torso missing several parts as a sort of teaching tool to share her message.  She told the crowd she had named it, “Healthcare Bill,” and went on to describe “his” qualities — or lack thereof (i.e., no brain, no heart, etc.).

Drawing much applause for plans she announced today was Republican State Sen. Jane Cunningham of Missouri’s 7th District.

She told the crowd she will soon introduce the Health Care Freedom Act, a Constitutional amendment that would protect Missourians from the un-Constitutional federal health care mandates and protect their rights to make their own medical and insurance choices.

Senator Cunningham explained that it will include the right for individuals to pay directly to  health care providers, and it will also protect small business owners from being forced to swallow up to eight percent penalties on payroll taxes for not adhering to the federal government standard of insurance.

This Constitutional amendment, if it gets through the House and the Senate, will not require the signature of the governor.

“Instead,” Senator Cunningham said, “it will go directly to a vote of the people.”

Right now, she said, efforts like hers are being waged in at least 20 states.

“If we get all of these through our legislatures,” the state senator explained, “it will set up a showdown on states’ rights before the U.S. Supreme Court, and I say, ‘Bring it on!’”

Among the other notable speakers was Ed Martin, Republican candidate for the South St. Louis Congressional seat now held by ultra-liberal Democrat Rep. Russ Carnahan.

Also in attendance was a smattering of news media (i.e., one news crew from KSDK-TV, the local NBC affiliate) and a throng of new media representatives (i.e.,bloggers), including yours truly.

Editor’s Note: Check back during the next 48 hours for additional posts and video from the rally.

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