As I'm sure you are all aware of, our nation's Congress & President have set into motion historical reform to American healthcare as we know it yesterday. The county's political climate has been severely strained leading to this vote & remains so in its wake. In this age of social media, much of the discourse (or lack thereof) occurs online via sites such as Facebook. I previously posted a long drawn response as a blog entry before & as this blog serves as a means to get some things off of my chest, I think it's only right to share this as well.
As a progressive, many of my friends & I have been on the defensive now that pundits such as Glen Beck have placed us on their attack list. This exchange proved no different. My good friend Paul posted an editorial from the Huffington Post entitled "Good Wins Over Evil. Period". Now, I'm not one to incite more division with such bold statements, but I will speak my mind & heart when someone makes assumptions or indictments of my character. I commented lightly to the posting of this article, making fun of the writer's previous works, yet someone found the article and our support of it downright incendiary. Granted, "good and evil" are always dangerous claims to make, but though the author acknowledged his words were directed toward the "fringe" and not the entire GOP, this was an insufficient designation that I felt merited a retort.
What follows is my response/release about their view on our stance in support of this particular editorial.
(~for frame of reference I was told I should "read Mein Kampf instead of the Huffington Post".....yup, real classy, I know. Tell me if you've heard this one, "so this Neo-Con called me a Nazi"~)
I'm glad you said Mein Kamph & not the Koran, but hey, this is the "information age" so everybody with an opinion has MULTIPLE streams by which to express themselves for the WORLD to take notice. Whether it's statistical concrete facts or emotionally driven opinion, isn't that an exercise in freedom of speech? I'd say it's about as much of an exercise in freedom as assembling in front of congress with signs that read "American Taxpayers are Jews for Obama's Ovens," "No Voo-Doo Medicine," or (my favorite) "If Brown Can't Stop the Bill A Browning Can!"
All I can say is this, if these "fringe" people who have no shame in protest, as well as nut-jobs like the Joe Stack, are praised & accepted by a so-called "movement" then not only do I not want ANYTHING to do with them, but I'm ashamed that they are considered my FELLOW Americans. Though I'm sure they don't even give two s#!ts what I think.
Patriotism is fine and dandy when it's veiled within support for an unpopular war, but it's apparently an absolute bitch when veiled within angst towards an "unpopular" bill. Taxes aren't going to end anytime soon, & unfortunately neither is the Fed. Government has been and will do with our money what they damn well please, so whether you think Medicare & Social Security are at risk because of the latest bill or are aware of numerous times in our past that the federal budget have been "re-appropriated" to fund the military industrial complex or PSA's & Plan Colombia to fight the "War on Drugs," I guess, it's neither here nor there.
All I know is the benefits for individuals & estimates for the cuts this bill will make to our deficit don't come off as negatives to me. The last time I checked nations with far reaching socialized medicine (which isn't even good word to describe what was voted on in Congress) haven't gone bankrupt because of it, yet many individual Americans & families alike are & have been because of the current cost of healthcare. Also, if the next generation's debt is your concern rather than their access to affordable healthcare, ask yourself this, when since our nation's inception have we NOT been in debt & how long did that last? The fundamental purpose of the reform is to put the emphasis on the American people & not the insurance companies' profits.
So, if the opposition to this reform can't take the time to actually become aware of this & would rather label it "Socialism" (which it's not), & proponents of the bill as Nazis (which is absolutely ludicrous), allege that is a means to invoke "white slavery" (just plain preposterous), or speculate that what women may or may not choose to do with their now required PRIVATE insurance has a direct connection to federal funds, then THEY'RE A CLOSE MINDED, LOST CAUSE & THEIR MISGUIDED INDIGNATION IS SOMETHING TO FEAR (see Browning comment).
I'm not saying they're evil, but their reveled ignorance & vitriolic rhetoric saddens me.....gives me reason to pause.....and watch my back.
That is all, Peace.
In the days since this posting reports of racial & homosexual epithets, death threats (explicit & veiled), & vandalism (from bricks & pellet guns breaking windows to family members' gas lines to their homes being cut) have been suffered by Congressmen & women who have publicly supported this bill.
Recently, I listened to an interview with House Majority Whip James E, Clyburn. In speaking of the current furor by the Conservative fringe, he mentioned a recent visit to a university where he discussed his involvement in civil rights during the '60s. When faced with what seemed insurmountable odds, threats violence or jail time for fighting the status quo, Mr. Clyburn said that he took the slings and arrows in the '60s so that ensuing generations would not have to endure or witness these ills again. Strange that over 40 years later human decency & governmental decorum have vanished, bringing forth the same reprehensible behavior he thought he would never witness again.
If you're reading this, I wish you.....
LOVE, PEACE, & All That's Beautiful in this World.....& the next,
-D
No comments:
Post a Comment