Just a Thought

I learned the lessons of political tolerance early.  Mom was a Republican, Dad was a Democrat and politics was served at every meal.  The only rule was you had to keep one foot on the floor.  I have frequently said that being married to someone of the opposite political persuasion is a good lesson in perspective.  You learn how to speak softly and consider the veracity of the other side.   There are very few truths that come directly from God’s mouth to someone’s ear. 

            For that reason, I do not believe in demonizing President Obama or his party in the coming debate about what constitutes good government.  It is not going to be a choice of good or evil, it is a choice of philosophies.  People of good will and pure thought can, genuinely, see the same problems, feel equally compelled to solve them, and choose completely different paths to that resolution.  Never is this more apparent than in the debate about health care. 

            First, I have a request.  Will everyone who doesn’t think that the richest country on the earth should have the world’s best health care for all of its citizens please raise your hand.  Okay, now you may leave the room because I have nothing to say to you.  The fact is that most people want good health care for all of our citizens.  But deciding how, when, where and what kind of care to provide is where we differ.   

It is like the old joke about a voluptuous and daringly dressed young woman at a cocktail party being approached by a very wealthy, very old and very unattractive man.  After a very few moments of flirtation he asked the woman if she would make love to him for $1 million dollars.  After a fit of giggling, the woman said, “Yes.”  The man then said, “…would you make love to me for $20?”  The young lady became indignant and asked, “What do you think I am?”  To which the millionaire replied, “We have already established what you are; now we are negotiating a price.”  

Unless you are ready to write off some people as, “unworthy” of medical care, you have to want universal medical care.  But that doesn’t mean you have to want the Democrats’ medical plan.  It is the difference between believing that everyone deserves life saving care, and believing that if Nancy Pelosi can afford a face lift that everyone should be able to have one.  Nonsense!  The current health care plan has none of the safe guards of the market place.  The law itself is so convoluted that we don’t even know how many kinks and dead ends it contains.  [By the way, that is why Pelosi had that God-awful face-lift, so she can defend this law with a straight face.]  Beyond that, it does not address market solutions to the problem.  People should have access to good medical care.  They should be rewarded for healthy living, but not punished for a genetic roll of the dice before they were born.  They should be able to decide what level of care they want to pay for.  I don’t expect my insurance to pay for a three room suite at the hospital when I get sick, but I do want a clean room.  I will never have a face lift because I can’t afford one.  People who are on welfare do not have a right to fertility treatments because there is no inherit right to a child, especially one you can’t afford. 

Our debate is not about health care, it is about the best solution to health care needs. 

Frame the debate, and keep the faith.