Roy Cooper: “I woke up this Sunday morning, said my prayers, and finally decided that I will vote ``yes'' on health care reform.…”

“I woke up this Sunday morning, said my prayers, and finally decided that I will vote ``yes'' on health care reform. Having heard from tens of thousands of Middle Tennesseans on all sides of the issue (including the flood of messages in the last few days and hours), and having spent months studying the various bills, I know that America must improve its health care system because it is unsustainable. This legislation will make it better. Any decision of this magnitude must be made very carefully, after weighing every concern. We Nashvillians are proud of our outstanding health care community that makes us ``the nation's health care industry capital.'' Given our community's expertise, it is interesting to note that: Every Nashville hospital strongly supports the legislation, whether it's St. Thomas, Vanderbilt (both University and Hospital), Centennial, Meharry Medical School, Nashville General, Summit, Skyline, or Southern Hills. A majority of physicians who contacted me support the legislation and, although the Tennessee Medical Association opposes it, the TMA's national organization, the conservative American Medical Association, supports it. A majority of local nurses support the legislation, along with the American Nurses Association. Despite media controversy regarding abortion, the Catholic Health Association, Catholics United, and groups representing 59,000 Catholic Sisters support the legislation.”