Thursday, September 23, 2010

Healthcare- The Uncomfortable Phone Call

I am an Independent. I am a religious person. I have my morals and my values, but I can't call myself a Republican anymore without throwing up in my mouth a little bit. I used to be a Republican. And a fervent one at that. But even as a Rebpublican, I knew that therer were people out there who couldn't afford insurance and were not getting the healthcare they needed due to costs. But, I'm finding more and more people who truly seem to believe that that doesn't happen. People who believe that everyone could get insurance or at least save up money for future health expences if they really wanted to and prioritzed. When I became a Republican, I was all for smaller federal govt, lower taxes and giving local govt the ability to handle things internally. However, I'm seeing more and more Republicans out there who don't seem to understand that the trade off to a smaller federal govt and lower taxes is that it becomes the responsibility of local govt and private citizens to take care of their shit. That means, if you don't want the federal govt. taking money out of your paycheck to feed the poor, THEN YOU FEED THE POOR. If you don't want the govt. taking money out of your paycheck to heal the sick, THEN YOU HEAL THE SICK. That's the trade off- Big Brother won't take your money and give it to the poor, but you, in turn must take care of the poor yourself.

I guarantee if all of a sudden Republicans nationwide started dumping money into free clinics, state hospitals and charities, they started dropping truckloads of food at homeless shelters and soup kitchens, and in droves began applying to be foster parents, advocates and mentors, the political climate as we know it would change. And that's how it should be. Republicans sohould be the most giving people on the planet- particularly when their people are in office. When the taxes are low, we should be seeing Republicans taking their former tax dollars and pumping it into their local charities. If you want the right to handle the poor on your own, then take it and do a good job.

I know so many Repubicans who not only DON'T help the poor, don't give a rat's ass about the poor, but they also use being a Repubican as some sort of pass to judge, discrimiate and look down on the poor. Passing around letters blaming the poor for sucking up federal aid, looking down their noses as if because they can pay their bills every month, those who can't must be lazy, wasteful leeches. And even more offensive, they drag their religious beliefs into it as well, citing Bible verses warning of the heathen govt. and responding with "Amen" to classist slurs and hatemail.

I've been spending a fair amount of time studying thie new healthcare law and how it will effect my family. I've also been reading the pros and cons as given by people in both parties to see what people are liking and disliking about the reform. What I'm finding are a lot of positive changes that will help a lot of people and actually DECREASE the deficit in the long run. However, I keep reading on the Republican side that it is too expensive and will decrease the quality of care. And when I try to read thru the law to find out where the Republicans are getting the idea that it will create substandadrd care, I can't find anything to support that. On top of that, it seems clear from everything I've read that this plan will save money, so why do I keep hearing the whining about overspending?

Furthermore, when the Republicans handed in their proposal for healthcare reform there were ZERO compromises made on their part to make it a workable plan for both parties. They leave 52 million people without insurance, don't even chide insurance companies for refusing people with existing conditions or anything! And with the minor changes made, we still have a tax increase anyways!

On top of that, the latest poll I read said that while most Americans oppose the new law, the majority of them don't know what the law says. Amazing. Most of them think it will cost more in the long run. False. Mot of them think it will lower the quality of care. How? Show me. Tell me where this idea comes from, because I truly don't see how that will happen. Many believe the govt will be in charge of everyone's healthcare. I'm sorry, but have you read the bill? You shouldn't be allowed to have an opinion on something when you don't even know what the thing is.

My problem here is that I'm all for Republican principle, but what I'm seeing in our modern Republicans would make the GOP forefathers throw up. Being a Republican is not a license to be hateful, arrogant, uncaring, miserly and apathetic to the plight of the poor. On the contrary, the original intent of small govt was to facilitate the ability to give freely to our local brethern and to use our oen charity to take care of situations internally. The Republican model should produce the most giving, caring people in the nation because they would be there in the trenches with the poor, feeding, clothing and caring for them face to face. And, the the model works, there would eventually be less and less poor because they would have been connected to their community, assisted and be able to move and to become productive members of the society.

Where is that? Is there some Republican utopia where this is happening? If Republicans would actually take on the responsibilities obligated by their own political model, I would rejoin in a heartbeat. But what can I say; if individuals and communities want to keep their tax money and leave the poor to fend for themselves, am I supposed to sit by and be okay with that? While the GOP sits around tossing coins at various charities there are Americans dying every day because they don't have access to affordable medical care. Until the GOP steps up and does something about it, the poor have nowhere else to turn but to the Democratic Party. When the "Religious Right" won't feed them, they will turn to the "Godless Liberals" who will.

Ironically, it was the Democratic Party that has historically been the home of the religious American. They were seen as the party who cared for the poor and fought for the underpriveliged in society. Christians, in particular felt peace in aligning themselves with a party who spent money improving life for those suffering. The tide shnged after Roe v. Wade, when the Democrats took up the pro-choice stance. And what conservative holdouts still remained jumped ship when the gay-rights agenda was adopted in the 90s. But the erradication of Christian compassion when it came to the poor took a little longer to happen. At first, many former Democrats tried to walk the fence, but peer pressure and the blatant difference in values made it difficult. After awhile though, Republicans- even poor ones- became comfortable not caring and not doing anything to remedy the poverty in our backyards. And here we are today. Not only are Republicans frothing at the mouth over gay-rights and abortion, but they are actually attacking the Dems for a healthcare reform that would save lives and help the poor- something that their Democratic ancestors would've jumped at the change to support.

Are you moved? Are you angry? Are you embarrassed and ashamed that another religious person has dared to call you out of your greed and apathy? Good. This is not a political ad. I am not a Democrat, nor do I wish to convert anyone to the Democratic side. This is not a personal attack. I don't hate Republicans, as I said, I was one and I still agree with their system in principle. This is not about party affiliation- it is about personal responsibility. Take it, or shut up and let the Democrats heal the world for you. If the GOP doesn't like it, let them put their money where their mouth is.