A Victory
This morning we celebrate a victory in our struggle to shine a spotlight on the cause of our health care crisis and inspire bold action to win real reform.
Last Thursday, Sam Pullen joined dozens of courageous citizens who risked arrest in 9 cities across the country to challenge the insurance companies that are killing us and killing reform. Sam participated in the action to honor his mother’s own struggle to force Blue Cross to cover the bone marrow transplant that they originally denied and that ultimately extended her life for two years. He was arrested demanding that Blue Cross immediately approve all doctor-requested treatment for members with life-threatening conditions, and he committed to remain in police custody until they at least agreed to meet with him.
In the last 5 days, Sam’s sacrifice has inspired an outpouring of messages of support on Facebook and via email, attracted journalists to interview him in jail and spread his story, and moved supporters all over America to step up and help lead our campaign. Each day he stayed in jail, our movement grew stronger. Finally, on Monday evening, without even being taken before a judge, a sheriff released Sam from the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles with no bail and no charges.
Though Sam was forced to leave jail without his consent, it is a victory that the charges against him were dropped and the $5000 bail was removed. And even though Blue Cross never agreed to meet with Sam, his compelling story and courageous action helped expose their criminal practices and inspire many more Americans to join our fight to end them. And it confirmed again the great power of even just one person’s deep personal sacrifice for a just cause.
Today, we celebrate Sam’s freedom and join his call to every one who believes that health care is a right to follow in his foot steps and sit in (and even stay in!) for real health care reform on October 28th. We’ve seen how powerful it is when nearly a hundred people risk arrest in 9 cities on one day and one of them stays in jail for several more. What if hundreds more risk arrest in dozens of cities on one day and many of them decide to stay in? That will surely start to shift the whole health care reform debate, and it’s possible if we all push hard in the next 9 days to make it happen. If you haven’t pledged to sit in already, click here to show Sam you’re ready to follow his example of leadership and risk arrest on the 28th.
Thanks so much for all your support for Sam – and for the incredible efforts you’re making to meet the challenge of this moment.



