Defend Public Health Launches New Videos as Election Day Approaches
With election day nearly here and voting already underway, Defend Public Health has launched a new video campaign in which DPH members from across the country tell viewers why they’re a public health voter. The group launched a compilation video featuring seven of its members on its social media channels today and is urging members to share it widely and let their friends and associates know why they should think about public health as they evaluate the candidates asking for their vote.
In the video, each member follows “I’m a public health voter because…” with their own brief explanation. They range from “because doctors and not politicians should be making healthcare decisions with you” to “70 years ago, when I was 11, I had polio” and “everyone, no matter who they are, deserves access to sexual and reproductive healthcare.”
“We want voters to understand that their health and their children’s health is on the ballot this year,” said DPH Communications Co-Chair and epidemiologist Elizabeth Jacobs. “This isn’t about party, it’s about pushing candidates to stand up to the attacks that have decimated efforts to track and prevent disease, keep our food safe, and to understand who is most vulnerable to disease and help them stay healthy. The current Congress has done little to stop this wave of destruction. The next Congress must do better.”
DPH Operations Manager Darieon McFadden, who appears at the end of the compilation video, added, “This campaign is about creating solidarity among the nation to protect our lives and health. The only thing more important than standing up for humanity today is ensuring we have a future to look forward to.”
The new video campaign represents the second salvo in DPH’s effort. Earlier this month, DPH Communications Co-Chair Bruce Mirken wrote a syndicated op-ed column on the same theme, which has appeared in newspapers nationwide, including the Miami Herald and Kansas City Star. The piece concludes, “This year, vote as though your health depends on it. Because it does.”
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Defend Public Health is a volunteer-driven network of public health researchers, healthcare workers, advocates and allies fighting to protect the health of all from the Trump administration's cruel attacks on proven, science-based public health policies. We believe that everyone has the right to what they need for a healthy life, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity.
DefendPublicHealth.org
