DAY THIRTY-NINE: The Bell Tolls

Today a bell will begin to ring 71,000 times, once for each citizen losing healthcare.

(NASHVILLE, July 28, 2005) Today Governor Bredesen and the Tennessee Legislature will face the unrelenting tolling of a bell by demonstrators to represent the hundreds of thousands of citizens who will lose benefits in the state. The Tennessee Healthcare Campaign has organized people from every Tennessee County to ring a bell to symbolize ten human beings that will lose healthcare. The bell will ring around the clock, every four seconds from noon today until 8:48 pm on Sunday.

Lack of adequate healthcare results in a lower quality of life for all Tennesseans, higher taxes, a bleak state economy, more sickness and death.

Doctors and pharmacists are already swamped by calls of people facing an end to their healthcare. On Monday, August 1, 2005 Governor Bredesen’s disqualifying citizens will take effect and hundreds of thousands of people will be without healthcare coverage or the means to pay out-of-pocket for necessary medications. 

"I think it's going to be utter chaos," said Ferrell Haile of Perkins Drugs in Gallatin. "I don't mean to be funny. I think it's going to be total chaos. It's not just going to be a day or two. It's going to be a month or six weeks of total chaos."

More than 20 people gathered last night for a candlelight vigil in support of the activists who have occupied the governor’s office for 39 days. On June 20, protestors demanded that Bredesen stop the disenrollment and speak openly about the TennCare cuts. The governor has continued his course to end TennCare despite his promise to fix the healthcare system and his promise to keep enrollment. 

“I can see where the bell tolling will happen across the street [Charlotte Avenue],” said Pam Beziat who spent the night at the governor’s office. “I am not sure if we can hear the bell from here.”

“The pressure is working,” said Pam who likes to put a day or two in at the demonstration each week, “I think the governor is caught in a hard place.”

-Tim Wheat

For Whom the Bell Tolls - It tolls for you and me

On July 31, 2005, 719,000 Tennesseans will lose TennCare Benefits

No man is an island, entire of itself
every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main
if a clod be washed away by the sea, 
Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, 
as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were
any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind
and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls
it tolls for thee. 

-John Dunn

The Bell will toll every 4 seconds. Each toll will represent 10 of the 719,000 enrollees being cut: 323,000 cut off and 396,000 with severe benefit cuts. People from each county will come to Nashville to toll the bell. 

1 Anderson - Thursday, 12:00 Noon - 9,770 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
2 Bedford - Thursday, 1:05 PM - 5,153 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
3 Benton - Thursday, 1:39 PM - 4,307 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
4 Bledsoe - Thursday, 2:08 PM - 2,869 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
5 Blount - Thursday, 2:27 PM - 12,606 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
6 Bradley - Thursday, 3:51 PM - 10,634 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
7 Campbell - Thursday, 5:02 PM - 9,049 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
8 Cannon -Thursday, 6:02 PM - 2,417 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
9 Carroll - Thursday, 6:18 PM - 6,418 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
10 Carter - Thursday, 7:00 PM - 12,190 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
11 Cheathan - Thursday, 8:21 PM - 4,176 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
12 Chester - Thursday, 8:49 PM - 2,295 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
13 Claiborne - Thursday, 9:04 PM - 7,375 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
14 Clay - Thursday, 10:53 PM - 2,380 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
15 Cocke - Thursday, 11:08 PM - 9,220 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
16 Coffee - Friday, 12:09 AM - 6,734 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
17 Crockett - Friday, 12:54 AM - 2,758 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
18 Cumberland - Friday, 1:12 AM - 8,661 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
19 Davidson - Friday, 2:10 AM - 47,830 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
20 Decatur - Friday, 7:29 AM - 2,716 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
21 DeKalb - Friday, 7:47 AM - 3,390 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
22 Dickson - Friday, 8:10 AM - 4,801 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
23 Dyer - Friday, 8:42 AM - 6,927 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
24 Fayette - Friday, 9:28 AM - 4,476 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
25 Fentress - Friday, 9:58 AM - 6,402 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
26 Franklin - Friday, 10:41 AM - 5,222 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
27 Gibson - Friday, 11:16 AM - 7,179 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
28 Giles - Friday, 12:04 PM - 4,454 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
29 Grainger - Friday, 12:34 PM - 5,298 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
30 Greene - Friday, 1:09 PM - 9,225 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
31 Grundy - Friday, 2:10 PM - 4,830 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
32 Hamblen - Friday, 2:42 PM - 8,977 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
33 Hamilton - Friday, 3;42 PM -29,481 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
34 Hancock - Friday, 6:59 PM - 2,437 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
35 Hardeman - Friday, 7:15 PM - 4,267 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
36 Hardin - Friday, 7:43 PM - 7,065 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
37 Hawkins - Friday, 8:30 PM - 10,464 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
38 Haywood - Friday, 9:40 PM - 2,756 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
39 Henderson - Friday, 9:58 PM - 5,011 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
40 Henry - Friday, 10:31 PM - 5,443 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
41 Hickman - Friday, 11:07 PM - 3,891 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
42 Houston - Friday, 11:33 PM - 1,434 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
43 Humphreys - Friday, 11:43 PM - 2,872 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
44 Jackson - Saturday, 12:02 AM - 2,972 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
45 Jefferson - Saturday, 12:22 AM - 8,205 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
46 Johnson - Saturday, 1:17 AM - 4,412 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
47 Knox - Saturday, 1:46 AM - 34,875 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
48 Lake - Saturday, 5:38 AM - 1,358 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
49 Lauderdale - Saturday, 5:47 AM - 4,523 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
50 Lawrence - Saturday, 6:17 AM - 7,938 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
51 Lewis - Saturday, 7:10 AM - 3,005 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
52 Lincoln - Saturday, 7:30 AM - 5,033 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
53 Loudon - Saturday, 8:04 AM - 5,910 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
54 Macon - Saturday, 8:43 AM - 4,051 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
55 Madison - Saturday, 9:10 AM - 10,224 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
56 Marion - Saturday, 10:18 AM - 5,260 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
57 Marshall - Saturday, 10:53 AM - 2,932 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
58 Maury - Saturday, 11:13 AM - 7,775 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
59 McMinn - Saturday, 12:05 PM - 8,423 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
60 McNairy - Saturday, 1:01 PM - 6,511 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
61 Meigs - Saturday, 1:44 PM - 2,814 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
62 Monroe - Saturday, 2:03 PM - 8,336 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
63 Montgomery - Saturday, 2:59 PM - 9,946 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
64 Moore - Saturday, 4:05 PM - 743 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
65 Morgan - Saturday, 4:12 PM - 5,456 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
66 Obion - Saturday, 4:48 PM - 4,205 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
67 Overton - Saturday, 5:16 PM - 4,350 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
68 Perry - Saturday, 5:45 PM - 1,449 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
69 Pickett - Saturday, 5:55 PM - 1,520 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
70 Polk - Saturday, 6:05 PM - 3,277 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
71 Putnam - Saturday, 6:27 PM - 9,371 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
72 Rhea - Saturday, 7:29 PM - 5,198 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
73 Roane - Saturday, 8:04 PM - 8,361 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
74 Robertson - Saturday, 9:00 PM - 5,917 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
75 Rutherford - Saturday, 9:39 PM - 14,616 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
76 Scott - Saturday, 11:15 PM - 6,536 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
77 Sequatche - Sunday, 11:59 AM - 2,340 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
78 Sevier - Sunday, 12:15 AM - 12,686 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
79 Shelby - Sunday, 1:40 AM - 68,610 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
80 Smith - Sunday, 9:17 AM - 2,818 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
81 Stewart - Sunday, 9:36 AM - 1,736 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
82 Sullivan - Sunday, 9:48 AM - 19,811 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
83 Sumner - Sunday, 12:00 PM - 13,038 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
84 Tipton - Sunday, 1:27 PM - 6,972 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
85 Trousdale - Sunday, 2:13 PM - 1,667 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
86 Unicoi - Sunday, 2:24 PM - 3,815 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
87 Union - Sunday, 2:49 PM - 3,982 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
88 Van Buren - Sunday, 3:16 PM1,574 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
89 Warren - Sunday, 3:26 PM -7,221 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
90 Washington - Sunday, 4:14 PM - 13,040 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
91 Wayne - Sunday, 5:41 PM - 3,604 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
92 Weakley - Sunday, 6:05 PM - 5,020 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
93 White - Sunday, 6:38 PM - 4,895 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
94 Williamson - Sunday, 7:11 PM - 6,215 people, friends & neighbors being cut 
95 Wilson - Sunday, 7:52 PM - 8,403 people, friends & neighbors being cut 

Ending of the tolling of the bell - 8:48 PM - Candlelight Vigil will follow.

Tony Garr
Tennessee Health Care Campaign
1103 Chapel Ave.
Nashville, TN 37206
1-800-280-8682