A REAL American hero

[Bfgrn]

Wendell Potter has been awarded the 2011 Ridenhour Book Prize for his work, Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR is Killing Healthcare and Deceiving Americans.

In 2007, Wendell was the head of Public Relations and Corporate Communications for CIGNA when the insurer denied a life-saving liver transplant to Nataline Sarkisyan, a 17 year old California girl who suffered from leukemia. Desperate to save their daughter's life, Nataline's parents organized protests and demonstrations against CIGNA. The company eventually yielded to public pressure and reversed its decision -- but too late. Nataline died just two hours after CIGNA approved the operation.

Nataline's case profoundly effected Wendell. He gradually felt that he had "sold his soul" by being "part of a industry that would do whatever it took to perpetuate its extraordinarily profitable existence." Wendell quit the insurance industry and started working tirelessly to make the public aware of the industry's widepsread unethical practices and PR techniques, and the harm these practices cause Americans.

Each year, the Ridenhour Prize honors an outstanding work of social significance from the previous publishing year. The Prize honors Wendell for having the courage to walk away from a lucrative, longstanding corporate career to speak out against the industry he worked in, and write an important expose' about an industry that values profits over human lives.

Wendell Potter on his decision to speak out:
One of the books I read as I was trying to make up my mind was President Kennedy's "Profiles in Courage." And in the forward, Robert Kennedy said that one of the president's favorite quotes was a Dante quote, "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of moral crisis, maintain a neutrality." And when I read that, I said, "Oh, jeez, I-- you know. I'm headed for that hottest place in hell, unless I say something."

If you can be well without health, you may be happy without virtue.
Edmund Burke

 

[Cuyo]

Cue the personal attacks on both Bfgrn and this author...

 

[California Girl]

Medal of Honor Citations

^^^^ These are Heroes.

 

[Bfgrn]

Medal of Honor Citations

^^^^ These are Heroes.

Yes they are, but so are people like Wendell Potter who walked away from a very lucrative career to expose the real death panels in America; insurance cartels.

And so is the soldier the award is named after.

The Ridenhour Prize is named for Vietnam veteran Ronald L. Ridenhour, who wrote a detailed letter to Congress in 1969 describing events at the infamous My Lai massacre of March 16, 1968 in which a unit of the U.S. Army violently murdered an entire village of unarmed Vietnamese civilians -- mostly women, children, babies and elderly. The letter led to an investigation of the events that day, and the eventual conviction of the man responsible.

It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.
Albert Camus

 

[California Girl]

Medal of Honor Citations

^^^^ These are Heroes.

Yes they are, but so are people like Wendell Potter who walked away from a very lucrative career to expose the real death panels in America; insurance cartels.

And so is the soldier the award is named after.

The Ridenhour Prize is named for Vietnam veteran Ronald L. Ridenhour, who wrote a detailed letter to Congress in 1969 describing events at the infamous My Lai massacre of March 16, 1968 in which a unit of the U.S. Army violently murdered an entire village of unarmed Vietnamese civilians -- mostly women, children, babies and elderly. The letter led to an investigation of the events that day, and the eventual conviction of the man responsible.

It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.
Albert Camus

I'm aware of who Ridenhour was. I really don't need you to teach me shit I already know, but thanks for making yourself look like a condescending ass. Again.

Also, quotes from other people do not help you look intelligent. If you need to use the words of others instead of your own logic, you fail.

 

[Bfgrn]

Medal of Honor Citations

^^^^ These are Heroes.

Yes they are, but so are people like Wendell Potter who walked away from a very lucrative career to expose the real death panels in America; insurance cartels.

And so is the soldier the award is named after.

The Ridenhour Prize is named for Vietnam veteran Ronald L. Ridenhour, who wrote a detailed letter to Congress in 1969 describing events at the infamous My Lai massacre of March 16, 1968 in which a unit of the U.S. Army violently murdered an entire village of unarmed Vietnamese civilians -- mostly women, children, babies and elderly. The letter led to an investigation of the events that day, and the eventual conviction of the man responsible.

It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.
Albert Camus

I'm aware of who Ridenhour was. I really don't need you to teach me shit I already know, but thanks for making yourself look like a condescending ass. Again.

Also, quotes from other people do not help you look intelligent. If you need to use the words of others instead of your own logic, you fail.

WOW Cali girl, your haughty narcissism is reaching critical mass. You're huge insecurities are the root cause.

 

[RDD_1210]

Medal of Honor Citations

^^^^ These are Heroes.

Yes they are, but so are people like Wendell Potter who walked away from a very lucrative career to expose the real death panels in America; insurance cartels.

And so is the soldier the award is named after.

The Ridenhour Prize is named for Vietnam veteran Ronald L. Ridenhour, who wrote a detailed letter to Congress in 1969 describing events at the infamous My Lai massacre of March 16, 1968 in which a unit of the U.S. Army violently murdered an entire village of unarmed Vietnamese civilians -- mostly women, children, babies and elderly. The letter led to an investigation of the events that day, and the eventual conviction of the man responsible.

It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.
Albert Camus

I'm aware of who Ridenhour was. I really don't need you to teach me shit I already know, but thanks for making yourself look like a condescending ass. Again.

Also, quotes from other people do not help you look intelligent. If you need to use the words of others instead of your own logic, you fail.

Wow, how insecure can you possibly be? Seriously? That set you off?

 

[California Girl]

Yes they are, but so are people like Wendell Potter who walked away from a very lucrative career to expose the real death panels in America; insurance cartels.

And so is the soldier the award is named after.

The Ridenhour Prize is named for Vietnam veteran Ronald L. Ridenhour, who wrote a detailed letter to Congress in 1969 describing events at the infamous My Lai massacre of March 16, 1968 in which a unit of the U.S. Army violently murdered an entire village of unarmed Vietnamese civilians -- mostly women, children, babies and elderly. The letter led to an investigation of the events that day, and the eventual conviction of the man responsible.

It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.
Albert Camus

I'm aware of who Ridenhour was. I really don't need you to teach me shit I already know, but thanks for making yourself look like a condescending ass. Again.

Also, quotes from other people do not help you look intelligent. If you need to use the words of others instead of your own logic, you fail.

WOW Cali girl, your haughty narcissism is reaching critical mass. You're huge insecurities are the root cause.

Firstly, it's 'your' not 'you're'. Secondly, you don't know me, so making statement such as your show more about your stupidity than my 'huge insecurities'. We just happen to have different values as to what makes someone a 'hero'.

 

[California Girl]

Yes they are, but so are people like Wendell Potter who walked away from a very lucrative career to expose the real death panels in America; insurance cartels.

And so is the soldier the award is named after.

The Ridenhour Prize is named for Vietnam veteran Ronald L. Ridenhour, who wrote a detailed letter to Congress in 1969 describing events at the infamous My Lai massacre of March 16, 1968 in which a unit of the U.S. Army violently murdered an entire village of unarmed Vietnamese civilians -- mostly women, children, babies and elderly. The letter led to an investigation of the events that day, and the eventual conviction of the man responsible.

It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.
Albert Camus

I'm aware of who Ridenhour was. I really don't need you to teach me shit I already know, but thanks for making yourself look like a condescending ass. Again.

Also, quotes from other people do not help you look intelligent. If you need to use the words of others instead of your own logic, you fail.

Wow, how insecure can you possibly be? Seriously? That set you off?

What are you, Bf's echo chamber? What a pathetic response. I disagree with him, so I must be insecure..... He thinks he needs to explain to me who Ridenhour was... so pointing out that he's an arrogant ass for assuming I don't know makes me insecure....

What a sad little pair you two are.

 

[Cuyo]

I'm aware of who Ridenhour was. I really don't need you to teach me shit I already know, but thanks for making yourself look like a condescending ass. Again.

Also, quotes from other people do not help you look intelligent. If you need to use the words of others instead of your own logic, you fail.

WOW Cali girl, your haughty narcissism is reaching critical mass. You're huge insecurities are the root cause.

Firstly, it's 'your' not 'you're'. Secondly, you don't know me, so making statement such as your show more about your stupidity than my 'huge insecurities'. We just happen to have different values as to what makes someone a 'hero'.

Why do you feel the need to interject examples of your "heroes" as a means of minimizing the validity of the "hero" he's highlighting?

 

[RDD_1210]

I'm aware of who Ridenhour was. I really don't need you to teach me shit I already know, but thanks for making yourself look like a condescending ass. Again.

Also, quotes from other people do not help you look intelligent. If you need to use the words of others instead of your own logic, you fail.

Wow, how insecure can you possibly be? Seriously? That set you off?

What are you, Bf's echo chamber? What a pathetic response. I disagree with him, so I must be insecure..... He thinks he needs to explain to me who Ridenhour was... so pointing out that he's an arrogant ass for assuming I don't know makes me insecure....

What a sad little pair you two are.

There's a difference between disagreeing and reacting in a ridiculously irrational manner. But I don't need to tell you that, right?

 

[Bfgrn]

Wow, how insecure can you possibly be? Seriously? That set you off?

What are you, Bf's echo chamber? What a pathetic response. I disagree with him, so I must be insecure..... He thinks he needs to explain to me who Ridenhour was... so pointing out that he's an arrogant ass for assuming I don't know makes me insecure....

What a sad little pair you two are.

There's a difference between disagreeing and reacting in a ridiculously irrational manner. But I don't need to tell you that, right?

ridiculous? irrational?....no...

 

[The T]

Medal of Honor Citations

^^^^ These are Heroes.

Agreed. The title of this thread should be re-written to "Real American ZERO"

 

[California Girl]

Medal of Honor Citations

^^^^ These are Heroes.

Agreed. The title of this thread should be re-written to "Real American ZERO"

While I see what Bf is saying, I tend not to label anyone who follows their conscience a 'hero'. No one deserves a medal, or the label 'hero' for following their conscience.... people who earn that label do so by putting their actual lives at risk to save their fellow man.

These days.... everyone and their dog is a 'hero', according to some people. Not me. Heroes are remarkable.

 

[California Girl]

What are you, Bf's echo chamber? What a pathetic response. I disagree with him, so I must be insecure..... He thinks he needs to explain to me who Ridenhour was... so pointing out that he's an arrogant ass for assuming I don't know makes me insecure....

What a sad little pair you two are.

There's a difference between disagreeing and reacting in a ridiculously irrational manner. But I don't need to tell you that, right?

ridiculous? irrational?....no...

You just can't help yourself, can you? Projecting your fantasy of what you think I feel.... makes you look pathetic.

 

[The T]

Medal of Honor Citations

^^^^ These are Heroes.

Agreed. The title of this thread should be re-written to "Real American ZERO"

While I see what Bf is saying, I tend not to label anyone who follows their conscience a 'hero'. No one deserves a medal, or the label 'hero' for following their conscience.... people who earn that label do so by putting their actual lives at risk to save their fellow man.

These days.... everyone and their dog is a 'hero', according to some people. Not me. Heroes are remarkable.

Precisely. They are because they don't care of themselves but ACT no matter the danger to their own life or limb to spare others as a matter of instinct.

 

[Si modo]

Hero?


Pffft.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

What the fuck makes this guy a hero? Are insurance companies issuing fatwas calling for his death? Has CIGNA put a million dollar bounty on his head?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Medal of Honor Citations

^^^^ These are Heroes.

Yes they are, but so are people like Wendell Potter who walked away from a very lucrative career to expose the real death panels in America; insurance cartels.

And so is the soldier the award is named after.

The Ridenhour Prize is named for Vietnam veteran Ronald L. Ridenhour, who wrote a detailed letter to Congress in 1969 describing events at the infamous My Lai massacre of March 16, 1968 in which a unit of the U.S. Army violently murdered an entire village of unarmed Vietnamese civilians -- mostly women, children, babies and elderly. The letter led to an investigation of the events that day, and the eventual conviction of the man responsible.

It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.
Albert Camus

Was his career lucrative? How much money is he making from his "tell all" book? Speaking fees? Etc?

Just as a guess, I would be willing to bet that he is making as much, or more, now than he did at his "lucrative" career. Quiting a job does not make one a hero, even if his motives were noble and pure.

I have nothing but scorn for people who try to make people who do everyday things into heroes. Not that I had much respect for you before this.

 

[KissMy]

The lefties are always screaming about mans overpopulation is killing the planet. They are mostly evolutionist. They want population controls & abortion of healthy babies. But now they want to idolize those who save the dependent & ill.