Monday, August 31, 2009

A sick debate

Call me naive. Call me a meek and mild Quaker boy, but I went to a town hall meeting last week here in Claremont on healthcare insurance reform, and I was frightened. I’m sure the organizers, a pretty progressive bunch with good, if not preaching-to-the-choir, intentions, got a bit of a shock, to say the least. It was a flat-out ugly scene.
It was just like those awful scenes we’ve been seeing on the news. There were people yelling and booing and screaming. At one point, a young man, an anti-abortion activist shouting that he was being assaulted, was dragged out of the room, and the police were called, and it appeared that the doors were being locked. It was bad enough that I sat behind an older man who wore a shirt featuring a waving U.S flag and images of Mt. Rushmore and who kept giving the thumbs down and shouting things like "lies" and "bullshit."
I wondered why these people were there, since there were no elected officials or lawmakers present. Were they there just to make trouble? (Meanwhile, I read an article on Sunday about how ammunition vendors are having difficulty keeping up with the demand...)
It also didn’t help that the panel of speakers was stacked with progressive types advocating a single payer system. One all but endorsed socialism, bringing on a particularly violent reaction. Nor did it help when the speakers, who I agreed with, said stupid, egging-on things like, "I like being called an Obama person!"
Here are the reasons I heard why people don’t like the proposed reforms:
*The government will drive private insurers out of business and will take over.
*The government will dictate everything, and I’ll have no choice. *Everything the government does ends up costing even more than first said.
*Rationing.
*The tax-payers will pay for abortions.
*Illegal aliens will get free healthcare.
*I work hard for my money and choose to pay for my healthcare in cash, thank you very much, and don’t want to pay for others who don’t work hard.
*I don’t want to lose what I have now.
*This is all coming too fast.
I also heard resistance to certain facts, like America not having the world’s best healthcare.
I heard people sticking to their ideas and ideology, based on and driven by fear (I.e: Rush Limbaugh, etc.), and that scared me - more than the shouting. I went home shaken and sickened and all but feeling hopeless.
"All but," because I was reminded that I need to keep getting out there and doing what I do. I once again saw that there are people who will never, ever see things the way I do, and that I can’t worry about them and changing their mind. If I do this, I will fail and die. All I can do is to keep on doing my thing. Maybe some of these people will see me and won’t change their minds; maybe some, a few, will. God knows it’s better than fighting.

4 comments:

  1. Oh my Goddess, John... what a mob scene! ...but peace and health will prevail, of course. Meanwhile, check out what we're doing down here in 'Diego: http://www.youtube.com/user/shizzyfinn#play/all/uploads-all/0/Me3VnCficDA .

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  2. Health reform starts at home with our obesity

    As a choice to voice the corporate indecency

    To shirk any diet without any results

    While we defy the right antidote

    As industrial foods are fast and fatty

    Asking ourselves why are we sad and unhappy?

    Eating what we see as freedom to consume

    As we need a complete overhaul soon

    If we are to survive and start a revolution

    For our own well being with a resolution

    To live a life without a strife overweight

    As we start to take responsible fate

    Boycotting the fast food industry swaying

    Our minds and bodies as we go on betraying

    The understanding and handling of health reform

    Withstanding the calamity we felt with a scorn

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  3. Hi John -- it's so great to read your thoughts feelings and observations. I"m glad this medium is here for you so I can get to know you better. The "eagleonlineservice.com" project address doesn't work. Is that kaput?
    Great to reconnect at the CMG this weekend. A big hug from me,
    Paul (Loper)

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  4. John,

    The truth of your words below brought tears of recognition to my eyes. Thanks for articulating the "all but" and reminding me to "keep doing my thing." xo to u, Doug

    "I heard people sticking to their ideas and ideology, based on and driven by fear (I.e: Rush Limbaugh, etc.), and that scared me - more than the shouting. I went home shaken and sickened and all but feeling hopeless. 'All but,' because I was reminded that I need to keep getting out there and doing what I do. I once again saw that there are people who will never, ever see things the way I do, and that I can’t worry about them and changing their mind. If I do this, I will fail and die. All I can do is to keep on doing my thing."

    ReplyDelete