Health Care Part Deux

I am thrilled that the health care bill passed.  I'm overjoyed that Obama signed the bill into law today.  Three cheers (and then some) for reform!

Do I think the bill is perfect?  No.  Do I think it will solve all of our problems?  Of course not.  But it's a step in the right direction.  We cannot move forward unless we make changes.  Yes, change can be scary, but that's no reason to stand idle. 

I am still fired up by people that oppose this bill.  One person I know said that they were upset that now they have to "bust their ass so that lazy people that don't work can have health care."  Ok, first of all, that is so fucking ridiculous I cannot even believe I heard it.  Secondly, way to group a few bad apples into an entire population.  Are there people that are lazy and don't work?  Yes.  Is everyone that is unemployed lazy and not wanting to work?  No.  In case you forgot, we are still in a recession.  Unemployment is at an all time high.  The majority of these people WANT to work.  Some of them are even paying for insurance via COBRA.  On the flip side, there are quite a few people in this country that DO work yet still have no benefits.  My husband is one such person.  Without my job and benefits, he would have nothing.  He is self employed and is deemed uninsurable due to pre-exisiting medical conditions (ironically he is against reform as well).  I have other friends that work full time but are offered ZERO benefits from their employers.  So before you start spewing your hatred, you should take a look around.

Then we have the lovely folks who are pissed that the bill passed ("What about the Constitution?!") and are also pissed that Rep. Stupak made a deal on abortion language.  Ok, so you are against the government making decisions about your health care, yet you are FOR the government making decisions about your health care.  Yeah, that makes sense.  Don't tell me what I can or cannot do with my insurance but you damn well better tell everyone else what they can or cannot do with their bodies.  Right.

My main issue is this:  You have no right to complain about ANYTHING (health care or otherwise) unless you are willing to do something about it.  This reform bill was not a breaking news surprise.  We all knew it was coming.  Every single person in this country could have written their Senator or Rep.  They could have called the White House.  They could have protested.  But the majority of them didn't.  They sat at home in front of their televisions and yelled and screamed and the injustice of it all.  You have the power to make a change and didn't use it.  Don't complain that you don't like the results.  It's no one's fault but your own.

Finally, when did it become so horrible and wrong to actually help other people?  What is so terrible about lending a hand to those less fortunate then ourselves?  Why are people not even looking at those around them and seeing how they are affected by this?  One person I know lost a family member due to poor health care yet he is against reform.  Huh?  Why would you want other people to suffer the same way you did?  I have a friend with cancer who has to be careful how often she gets her treatments and therapy because her insurance only allows so much per year.  Why should she have to fight cancer this way?  We are one of the most powerful nations in the world yet we are ranked 37th in terms of health care for our people.  That is a disgrace.  Insurance companies have been far too greedy for far too long.  I understand that they are a for profit business and should be allowed to make money.  They should not, however, be allowed to make money off the backs of people that rely on them just to live.