The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival has been organized to address vast social inequalities, intractable racism, never-ending wars and ecological devastation. During the week of June 3, the Campaign will focus on The Right to Health and a Healthy Planet.
Did you know 13.8 million U.S. households cannot afford water? Federal assistance to local water systems has dramatically decreased prompting privatization of water systems charging customers much higher rates. As a result, nearly 12% of households face unaffordable water bills. While there is failing infrastructure in poor cities and rural counties across the country, there has been a boom in infrastructure to support fossil fuel production and transportation.
Since 1998, there have been 5,712 significant oil and gas leaks or ruptures on U.S. pipelines. And since 1964, there were more than 2,400 spills from offshore drilling in U.S. waters. The largest of these was the Deepwater Horizon “BP” oil spill in 2010, which accounted for 95 percent of oil spilled in the past 50 years.
There are also more than 1,100 coal ash sites throughout the country. Toxins from these sites gradually leach into water bodies and groundwater or get released in catastrophic spills.
Scientists have known for decades that human activities, particularly the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas, are warming the planet. In spite of knowing the risks, political leaders have dragged their feet on implementing solutions.
The truth is that our policies have not fundamentally valued human life or the ecological systems in which we live. Instead, it has prioritized private, corporate and financial interests over our precious natural resources.
We demand the right to clean water, air and a healthy environment and public resources to monitor, penalize and reverse the polluting impacts of fossil fuel industries.
It is a travesty that 32 million people in this country lack health insurance. Further, an estimated 40 percent of Americans have taken on debt because of medical issues, making medical debt the number one cause of personal bankruptcy filings.
We demand the expansion of Medicaid in every state and the protection of Medicare and single-payer universal health care for all.
On Monday, June 4, at State Capitols around the nation, protests will be held focusing on these concerns. Rallies will be followed by nonviolent civil disobedience. Click here to find a Poor People’s Campaign action near you. Hint: Click here to find your State Capitol’s zip code.
All Are Invited to gather with members of the Poor People’s Campaign Monday, June 4th, at your State Capitol, speaking out to change the direction of our country.
In Solidarity,
The UFPJ Coordinating Committee
