Hope Care Reform

For the most part I usually try to stay apolitical. Both in my virtual life and my real life. My friends are pretty much spread out between ultra conservative and ultra liberal. On a scale between 1 and 10 with ultra conservative being 1 and ultra liberal being 10 I’d probably land around a 6 or 7 depending on the issue. But I have never really found the need to stand on a bully pulpit and shout it to the rooftops. It’s not because I don’t care because I care deeply but when it comes to politics and religion, people believe what they believe and I know that my stance is not likely to change minds. No need to ruin friendships.

However, one of my friends is probably a -5 on the above scale and she is extremely vocal. Her Facebook statuses are almost always political and today she joined a Facebook group called, “5,000,000 American Patriots Committed to Repealing Obamacare!!!” (Multiple exclamation points included.) When last I checked they had about 1,300 members so they’ve got a ways to go but for the life of me I can’t figure out why they are so angry.

They seem to love America but don't seem to care all that much about Americans. (I’m paraphrasing from a movie but it’s still valid.) Not showing even an ounce of sympathy for the millions of Americans suffering with varying levels of health care issues. And I’m not talking welfare here. I’m talking average middle-class, working Americans whom for varying reasons can’t go to a doctor when they get the flu. I myself, a fully insured, career-forward, middle-class woman recently found out that my insurance company has decided that my medicine is too expensive. (I wonder how expensive my stroke is going to be.)

Once signed, the bill will immediately eliminate annual and lifetime caps that the insurance companies love, coverage will now be available for people with pre-existing conditions, coverage will be made available for dependants up to age 26 (I was uninsured during my two years in grad school until I got a job), and drug discounts for seniors. More benefits to be added in 2011. Why is this such a horrible thing?

I know it will be expensive at first but aren’t healthy Americans better than dead Americans?

Note: I joined the group, “Help Rush Limbaugh Remember To Leave The Country.” He did, after all, promise.