In case you missed it, here's the 60 Minutes report [1] on Knoxville based Remote Area Medical [2] and the recent free clinic they conducted in Knoxville.

See also this column [3] in yesterday's Knoxville News Sentinel by Dr. Tom Kim who operates the Free Medical Clinic in Knoxville. And this article from last week that reports there are up to 80,000 uninsured [4] in Knox County alone.

This is a national disgrace. Dr. Kim describes the scene at the RAM event as a "Third World emergency room." In Knoxville, Tennessee. In the United States of America.

Watch the 60 Minutes report. Read the articles. If you have an ounce of human compassion it will break your heart. If you care at all about social justice you will be outraged that we are allowing this to happen in America.

In the 60 Minutes report, Joanne Ford was hoping to get in to the clinic. When asked what she would do if she couldn't, she said "I don't know. I have a lot of friends and I have a lot of church support. I was very active in my church and I have a lot of friends in church. I just hate to ask. I've worked all my life. I hate to ask."

I hate to ask.

Well, I hate to ask, but if you think this is a disgrace please do a couple of things.

First, go over to Remote Area Medical's website and make a donation [5]. Then write a check to Dr. Kim's Free Medical Clinic [6] or the Interfaith Clinic [7] or one of the other local organizations helping the needy and the working poor who are uninsured and can't afford basic health care.

Second, when politicians ask for your vote, ask if they are committed to fixing America's broken health care system so that every man, woman, and child in America has health insurance they can afford or that is provided for them if they can't.

Read up on HR676 [8] and ask your Senators [9] and Representative [10] why this hasn't been brought up for a vote or at least debated. Ask them if they think it's a good idea, and if not why not. Ask them what their better idea is, and don't accept more empty rhetoric about "market based" solutions and tax credits for employer-provided insurance as the answer. Tell them to watch the 60 Minutes report and get back to you on how that's working out for the poor and the working class people of America.