Health Care

I'm going to take a bit of a detour from my usual light-hearted fare and share some of my thoughts about a really sticky issue. Health Care.

I value health care. I think everyone should have easy, affordable access to it. I've experienced European style 'socialist' health care and I don't think it's an evil thing. I have two small children, and if we didn't have employer subsidized health care, we would have multiple tens of thousands of dollars worth of debt, even though they are both healthy. That's just the cost of health care these days. I think I can safely say that health care prices are out of control.

I don't know all of the details of the bill. I agree that it is massive, complicated, and expensive. However, regardless of where I or you stand, I am absolutely amazed at the level of anger, the surprising violence, and the scare tactics that have emerged regarding this issue. Our Congressional Representatives have had to endure not just heckling but even violence at town meetings. People are talking about how the government wants to kill the elderly and the disabled, prominent pundits have compared the program to Nazism, and the list can go on and on.

Our country is so very obviously splintered that it is painful. I am amazed at the level of hate that has arisen over this subject. I don't know what impact I can have, but I did send a letter to all of my congressional representatives: Senators Hutchison and Cornyn and Reprentative Olson. All are Republicans, and all oppose the bill in its current form. That is fine, although I would prefer that they take a more bi-partisan stance. However, I did ask them to take a stand to denounce the lies and violence that has erupted.

I won't make much of a difference by myself, but it's a start. I'd love to live in a country where we can respectfully address our differences.