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Right-wing media set sights on family of 11-year-old who spoke about his mother's death at health care eventMarch 16, 2010 11:35 am ET — 165 Comments
Right-wing media have recently targeted 11-year-old Marcelas Owens and his family for attacks after he appeared at a health care reform event to speak about his mother, who reportedly died after losing her health insurance. These attacks follow a history of media conservatives attacking or mocking the uninsured, and previous attacks by right-wing media on the family of a 12-year-old who spoke in support of SCHIP.
11-year-old spoke about mother's death at health care reform eventMarcelas' mother reportedly "died of pulmonary hypertension ... after losing her health insurance because she could no longer work." According to a New York Times report, Marcelas Owens appeared at a March 11 press conference with Senate Democrats and spoke about his mother's death. The Times reported that Marcelas' mother, "Tiffany Owens, died of pulmonary hypertension in 2007 at age 27 after losing her health insurance because she could no longer work. Ms. Owens had been an assistant manager at a Jack in the Box restaurant." CNN.com further reported that Marcelas said at the event, "I came out here for health care, I got involved because my mom was a health care activist, she testified and participated in rallies. She wanted people to have health care and not wait till management level to be offered health care."
Right-wing media target Marcelas and family; portray them as "liberal activists"Beck: "Where was grandma" when Marcelas' mother was sick? On the March 15 edition of his Fox News show, Glenn Beck attacked Marcelas' grandmother -- who appeared with Marcelas at the health care event -- for her work with the organization Washington Community Action Network. Beck said the group was "all about economic, racial, gender, and social justice for all" -- "pesky phrases" Beck then tied to "the Soviet Union" and the "democratic socialist republic in China." Beck said of Marcelas' appearance on Capitol Hill: "The trip was paid for by Health Care for America Now -- that's the George Soros-funded, Barack Obama-approved group fighting for health care. Since all of these groups are so concerned and so involved now, may I ask, where were you when Marcelas' mother was vomiting blood?" Beck continued: "Wasn't this the perfect opportunity to help provide a decent quality of life for all -- at least, for one? You had somebody in your own ranks that knew -- her mother knew. Dare I ask: Where was grandma?"
Limbaugh tells Marcelas: "Your mom would have still died, because Obamacare doesn't kick in until 2014." On the March 12 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh aired a clip of Marcelas' remarks at the health care event and said, "Now, this is unseemly, exploitative, an 11-year-old kid being forced to tell this story all over just to benefit the Democrat Party and Barack Obama." Limbaugh later said, referring to Marcelas, "Your mom would have still died, because Obamacare doesn't kick in until 2014."
Malkin: Marcelas is the "new, dubious poster boy for Demcare"; targets Marcelas' family. In a March 10 post, Michelle Malkin wrote that Marcelas is the "new, dubious poster boy for Demcare." In her syndicated column that day, titled, "Desperate Dems cling to human kiddie shield," Malkin wrote that Marcelas "admits he doesn't understand the complexities of health insurance reform and doesn't 'think it's anyone's fault' that his mom passed away. 'But they could have done more' for her, he says." In a March 12 post, Malkin criticized a New York Times article about Marcelas because it "fail
to mention that Owens' grandmother and family have been longtime activists for the left-wing, single-payer advocates of the Washington Community Action Network or that the boy and his grandmother traveled to Washington with sponsorship from the Astroturf lobbyists of the Health Care for America Now outfit, which characterized Marcelas as an 'insurance abuse survivor.' " Malkin continued: "Never mind that there is not a shred of evidence that any health insurer ever 'abused' Marcelas. Never mind that the family has made no claim that Marcelas himself has survived without insurance."
NewsBusters: Marcelas has "entire family of liberal activists." In a March 10 post, NewsBusters' Scott Whitlock wrote that "Owens' entire family have been members of the liberal Washington Community Action Network." Further, Tim Graham wrote in a March 10 NewsBusters post -- titled, "Sell Us Marcelas: Fifth-Grade Protester Has Entire Family of Liberal Activists" -- that Marcelas "is a spokesman for a liberal lobby, the Washington Community Action Network." .......(more)
The complete piece is at: http://mediamatters.org/research/201003160023
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