The Stock Market and extremists seem to have become the leading indicators of our nation's future. Lobbyists are waging a successful assault on health-care reform while wild-eyed elders and others with a grudge arrive at political meet-ups to engage in over-wrought diversions far-removed from the topics at hand. Motivated by personal fears and desires, they are invigorated by fire-breathing, right-wing fanatics and supported by every conceivable fringe element.
It was telling that, on a day when the market slowed, four of the largest health-care insurers - - Cigna, United Health, Aetna and Wellpoint - - showed significant gains on hints that the "public option" might be dropped from health-care legislation. Yet, despite that up-tick on Wall Street and Republican delight at the possible collapse of the president's agenda, the very-elder statesman, Senator Grassley, said if he can't get enough members of his party to support reform of any kind, he won't sign on either. That statement proves if further proof were needed, that what the minority has in mind is simply to thwart anything the president proposes no matter what it is.
There's been so much talk about grandma everyone seems to have forgotten the younger generation who are the nation's future and who seek educational opportunities, jobs and security. Apoplectic politicians rant about children and grand-children being saddled with debt. But if health-care as we know it is held captive by an aging population that seeks assurance of unlimited, Medicare-financed treatments and procedures in the latter stages of their lives, today's children and tomorrow's grandchildren will be the biggest losers. It would, however, be no great loss if the provision for end-of-life-conversations between doctors and families were eliminated from legislative proposals - - not because the witless have created an uproar by erroneously describing them as "death panels" but because the cost of over a billion dollars to fund them seems excessive.
Republicans want the rest of us to forget the giveaways big pharma received to convince them to participate in the prescription-drug plan for the elderly - - legislation that passed with the arm-twisting of former congressional mover and shaker, Tom Delay. His upcoming appearance on "Dancing with the Stars" will be no match for the fast stepping he must have done as he threatened and cajoled party members for their votes during the three hours he kept the vote open in the House. In terms of fiscal responsibility, the plan passed with no visible means of financial support - - reality check please.
We are told repeatedly ours is "the best health-care system in the world" as if that explained away the uninsured, the underinsured and the enormous burdens ordinary Americans face trying to obtain reasonably priced insurance. The opposition insists there are many medical plans from which to choose. But employees who receive health benefits through their company, must accept whatever plan an employer offers - - no choice involved. One employee's plan included a $10,000 deductible.
But perhaps the worst of what passes for debate over the issue of health care is the license it seems to have provided for disgruntled elements of the population. NRA devotees arrive at presidential visits sporting rifles and hand guns just because they can. Not present to participate in discussion their goal is apparently to make some kind of statement about their 'right-to-carry' and to deliver thinly-veiled threats of insurrection. Even if one accepts the Supreme Court opinion that the second amendment guarantees gun-ownership for individuals, their ruling didn't automatically sanction the right to carry a weapon in public anywhere at any time. Freedom for the un-armed majority and our leaders shouldn't be compromised by fear of those who sport weapons in public places.
We are at a defining moment when we might have expected a more enlightened level of discourse than we have witnessed in recent months. Those gun-toting zealots wearing tee-shirts quoting Thomas Jefferson that "the tree of liberty must occasionally be watered with the blood of patriots and tyrants" seem unaware of the historical context in which our founding fathers lived and labored to establish our republic and a just society. Jefferson would likely find it disturbing that his words were being used so irresponsibly by anti-government extremists at this point in time.
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