By Marilyn Karp
Karp was one of the leaders of the Medicaid Warriors who lobbied for Medicaid expansion. She lives in Prince William County.
I’m a resistance leader here in Virginia. The resistance worked on Medicaid expansion which brought health care to 400,000 Virginians.
Our movement represents a new kind of advocacy. We speak from the heart, don’t care about traditions. We say Virginia is our district. Legislators deliberate on laws effecting all Virginians.
We came to Richmond in a People’s Caravan for Medicaid Expansion on Feb 19th. We had 150 people at the Bell Tower rally. We kept advocating for Medicaid expansion during regular session.
When nothing happened, we were there every time they showed up during the special sessions. #RESIST #INSIST #PERSIST #ENLIST. We persisted.
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We made “Medicaid Expansion Now” visible, potent at “Die-Ins.” People died every week because they didn’t have access to medical care. We laid holding our tombstones while people shared their stories. We asked our legislators where their moral compass and where their humanity was.
The final budget included Medicaid expansion. The resistance won, but, more importantly, humanity won.
Gov. Northam was with us on Medicaid expansion, and the resistance was thankful for his support. Unfortunately, our praise for him did not last.
On July 7th, the People’s Caravan returned to Richmond to advocate against the natural gas pipelines. We demonstrated our opposition with a Die-In, heard stories from those who are affected, and listened to women who put their bodies on the line to halt construction. This protest was like when we fought for Medicaid expansion. But Gov. Ralph Northam doesn’t appear to be listening.
This is a much different campaign for us, the voters, tax payers, people who care about others. Virginians want Gov. Northam and the Department of Environmental Quality to use the Clean Water Act and Virginia’s water quality standards to stop the pipelines and protect our water.
These pipelines are very dangerous. They explode. They pollute our clean air with greenhouse gases. They destroy clean drinking water. They already are dirtying our water supply with sediment. The water supply for over 400,000 people is at risk, and this will grow.
The people within what is referred to as the “incineration zone” are 85 percent African American. Even without an explosion, the methane and other pollutants that are spewed daily will adversely affect the health of the people who live there. It will also destroy their properly values.
Northam’s own Environmental Justice Advisory Council also said that placing a compressor station in the historic African-American community of Union Hill exhibits racism and maintained that the human rights of protestors are being violated by law enforcement.
The pipelines, like Medicaid expansion, are a moral issue, a human rights issue, a health issue. These pipelines will affect all of Virginia not just the brave people who live directly in its path. People will die.
People have posted reports on what is happening to the streams and yet these reports are being ignored by those who have the power to do something.
We have been calling, texting, tweeting, sending postcards standing outside the governor’s office every Wednesday asking to him stop the pipelines. We sent a team of scientists to talk with him about the science the pipeline companies are using and how flawed it is and what the real science says. They were met with more silence.
What we find unconscionable, incomprehensible, is the governor’s saying nothing. Perhaps the governor believes that by doing nothing, we will disappear. After Medicaid expansion, he should know better.
Well, Gov. Northam, silence is not an option. We know what you’re doing, we are watching.
The resistance wants Gov. Northam to know that if he looks at this from our perspective, he is actively putting money over the lives of constituents. We put our trust in you. Was that a big mistake on our part?
In your inauguration speech you said you followed your moral compass. Show us your moral compass, stop the pipelines. Gov. Northam use the Clean Water Act and Virginia’s water quality standards to stop pipelines and protect our water. Silence is not part of your promises.
You were with us when we needed you during the fight for Medicaid expansion. All the resistance wants to know is, why aren’t you with us now?