Health care rally

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – A week after Senator Ted Kennedy's death, folks in West Michigan came together to keep his fight for health care reform alive.

Grand Rapids joined nearly 300 other groups across the nation Wednesday night, holding a candlelight vigil for those suffering under the current health care system.

The Grand Rapids event took place at Rosa Parks Circle. The rallies over health care reform seem to be growing more frequent and passionate. The stark contrasts in public opinion creating friction.

Wednesday night saw the signs come out again, both for and against a public option.

"Health care is a primary contributor to bankrupting this country," said Machael Stauffer, who supports the public option.

"The federal government has not run a program successfully, why should they be able to run this one," said Mark Petzold, who is against the public option.

Wednesday night's rally was put together by MoveOn.org, a progressive group excited by the public option, and that ideal was certainly on display Wednesday.

"The federal government, I think, has proven itself already through Medicare, through the Veterans Administration, that they can run a plan and make it cost effective," said host and coordinator Mike Franz.

Those who can't keep up with the costs of the current system shared horror stories.

"75 percent of people filing bankruptcy today are doing so because they either have no health care or they can't afford the out of pocket expenses," said Stauffer.

Those who gathered Wednesday night also took a moment to remember Senator Kennedy, his life-long ambition of universal health care, and those still struggling for it."

"We're all in this together," said Franz. "We're all Americans and I think for us to succeed we all need to pull each other up by the boot straps."

However, some contend that the only person who should pull on your boot straps is you yourself, and that government involvement in health care will only cause pain.

"We believe there will only be more people struggling to get health care because the government has shown it's inept at now only governing, but managing private business," said Petzold.

Congress is due back from August recess on September 8^th, and health care is certain to be at the top of the agenda. People on both sides of the issue will continue to lobby until they get the sort of health care reform they want.