After decades of attempting to reach healthcare reform, Congress has finally done it! A lot of people are throwing a lot of accusations about the bill, but lets just clear the air about what this bill does and doesn't do. First, despite what Rep. Randy Neugebauer of Texas thinks the bill is not a “baby killer”. The executive order that President Obama signed guarantees that federal monies that are spent in the bill will not be used to fund abortions. Second, this bill will help save jobs, not destroy them. Small businesses will be able to cover their employees thanks to the subsidies that this bill provides. Not only that, but with everyone having insurance, people will receive low cost preventive care which will save consumers money which they can now spend on other essential items such as food and housing. Unfortunately there is no public option, however the federal Office of Personnel Management, which administers federal employees' health insurance plans, will contract with private insurers to offer at least two national health plans on the exchange, at least one of which would have to be a non-profit plan. There are some big lies about the bill that are being spread by conservative activists. To learn about the worst lies about the healthcare legislation just read this Newsweek article. To learn some of the basics about the legislation, including what was in the original House and Senate version, click here.
What truly concerns me is the hysteria that has been created about healthcare. In the past month, many public officials have been threatened. On March 23rd the brother of Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) discovered that the gas line connecting a propane tank to an outdoor grill at his home near Charlottesville, Va., had been severed. A local tea party group had posted the address online (thinking that the address was the Congressman's) saying that their members should “drop by”. Obviously the Republican leadership is in no way responsible for the acts, but it doesn't help when Sarah Palin tweets “Commonsense Conservatives & lovers of America: "Don't Retreat, Instead – RELOAD!" To the conservatives who now feel the backlash of the conservative activists who are committing these acts of vandalism I say “You reap, what you sow”. For years the Republicans have been using fear and hate as a motivational tool, and now you see the consequences like someone at a McCain rally holding up a stuffed monkey with an Obama sticker on it, or the tea party protesters holding up racists signs at rallies. Not only this, but apparently an organizer for the tea party group doesn't feel it is his responsibility to tell protesters not to hold up racists signs. Despite all of this, I still have hope. Recently, religious leaders from the extreme left and right got together and signed a Covenant of Civility. Progressive and Conservative leaders alike signed the agreement which states “put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.” We should all take a minute to reflect on this. The fact is the world will not end because of this healthcare bill, just like it didn't end when the Bush tax cuts went into effect. Sometimes leaders in political parties like to say things to get their constituents all fired up. It is almost like a professional wrestling match. A lot of the anger and malice you see when political leaders make their speeches or argue during debates is all calculated political theater. It is all designed to keep you interested, to get you to donate and/or volunteer. I think most Americans are fed up with these kind of tactics. People in the other party are not our enemies, the problems we face as a nation are. Terrorism and Poverty are things we are fighting, not each other. So the next time you are getting into a heated argument with a friend or a family member, just remember that you may have different opinions but you are both on the same side.
