Political Quotes

“one of the clearest indicators of the success or failure of any public health system is average life expectancy. Between the United States and other countries around the world, there are dramatic differences in life expectancy compared to the United States. But you don't have to fly thousands of miles to see a place where people live sicker and die younger than their neighbors. In Chicago, hop on the Blue Line and go from the Loop to the ``L'' stop in West Garfield Park. Between those two neighborhoods--just 5 miles apart-- life expectancy plummets 16 years. How can that possibly be? Chicago is home to some of the greatest hospitals in the world. The best doctors, the best nurses, the best technology--it is all there, but not for them. As it turns out, how healthy we are and how long we live depends more on our ZIP Code than our genetic code. While countries overseas face challenges with infectious disease or high child mortality rates, children in Chicago are dying preventable deaths of another form: an epidemic of gun violence. Yes, we need better gun laws, but the reality is that this Congress and this President do not want to take commonsense action. So what else can be done to address the root causes of violence?…”