Protesters rail against American Health Care Act

• Avalanche of snowflakes

As part of an effort of Indivisible organizations across New Mexico, the local Ruidoso Indivisible Opposition to Tyranny group staged a protest Saturday along Sudderth Drive. Signs, costumes, and shouts-out to drivers who honked in support were part of the demonstration.

The object of the protest was to bring attention to the group’s objections to the American Health Care Act, or AHCA, H.R. 1628 is, a bill members contend is “awful” and was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on May 4. The Senate currently is considering the bill while producing its own version.

“Our southern New Mexico 2nd Congressional District Representative, Steve Pearce voted for the bill and it was opposed by our two other New Mexico Representatives, Michelle Lujan Grisham and Ben Ray Lujan,” organization representatives pointed out in a news release on the demonstration.

Joyce Westerbur, who made a large tombstone, said, “It memorializes those who are likely to die under the AHCA and Congressman Pearce’s complicity in the demise of his constituents.”

One protester dressed as the Grim Reaper, waved her scythe and repeated a warning from bill opponents that as many as 400,000 New Mexicans might lose their healthcare and insurance under the act, and 500 a year might die, according to the release. Other objections raised by the protestors included the possibility of cutting funding by 50 percent for children’s vaccines, and 80 percent for heart disease and stroke.

They also contended federal funding of the Emerging Infections Program, which tracks antibiotic-resistant “super-bugs” and potential epidemics, would be cut entirely.

Charmaine O’Rourke, organizer of the protest, said she was concerned about pre-existing conditions affecting access to insurance.

“Under the current Affordable Healthcare Act, ACA or Obamacare, you cannot be excluded from or have more costly insurance because of pre-existing conditions,” she said. “Under the AHCA, states could waive this condition for insurers. Look up the list of pre-existing conditions. It includes acne, migraine headaches, cancer, diabetes, asthma, and pregnancy.”

The protest continued for about an hour.

“It was a good location,” Tony Davis of Alto observed. He counted about 35 cars passing a minute. Many honked and showed thumbs-up, he said. Several men in a truck shouted ‘Snowflakes.’, to which the response was, ‘No, an avalanche.’”

“It remains to be seen whether the Indivisible groups met their goal of protests in every county,” Davis said. “It does appear that this grassroots progressive movement has had some impact on several representatives across the country.”