Is it ME or is it we? The debate of health care reform exchange with public option.

“When your consciousness is directed outward, mind and world arise. When it is directed inward, it realizes its own Source and returns into the Unmanifested.” ~Practicing the Power of NOW, Eckhart Tolle

Last week I attended my first town hall meeting at Redwood acres in Eureka on the health care reform, represented by our North Coast congressman Mike Thompson. The room was packed with many familiar faces, including those of my parents and parent’s closest friends. Rushing over after my internship, little space was left for me to find a spot to stand. I eventually weaved my way around to the front of the room against the wall, with a decent view of the crowed audience.

With all that has been going on in the last few weeks (the start of a new semester), I have unfortunately found less time to keep up to date on national news. I wasn’t sure what to expect in a town hall meeting, and I was even more curious to see and hear who made up the crowd and what they supported or wanted for health care.

From what I saw, it basically boils down to two groups, the MEs and the we, both driven by fear. My take on the me’s is that no program will be satisfactory, and that health care is NOT a social right. They seem to also be preoccupied with the fears in the government spending money on health care to support legal abortions (as one man mentioned in the town hall meeting), the government will be providing health care for illegal immigrants (also mentioned), the idea of death panel, in that the community will get to decide if you are eligible for coverage (also mentioned), and finally that health care will be rationed out. The we’s also believe that no program will be able to take care of EVERY body and be acceptable without some sort of public option. When single payer health care questions came up they were quickly discarded and said to be off the table.

In an article in Times Standard, the current proposal is this: “According to the Congressional Budget Office, the 1,018-page legislation would bring health insurance to some 37 million people who are currently living without. It also comes with a massive price tag, and is estimated to cost $1 trillion over 10 years”(http://www.times-standard.com/ci_13234416?IADID=Search-www.times-standard.com-www.times-standard.com).

“Under the plan, the federal government would be responsible for ensuring that all people, regardless of income or pre-existing conditions, have access to an affordable insurance plan. Individuals and employers would have new obligations to get coverage, or face penalties "(http://www.times-standard.com/ci_13260083?IADID=Search-www.times-standard.com-www.times-standard.com).

The heart to the whole evening discussion took place over a heated debate that broke out in the meeting with one man (a Me), saying health care is not a right for everyone, and another man in the crowd started screaming out that health care is a right, that it is his existence. Although the second man (a we), made his point, unfortunately because his performance drew negative attention, he was escorted out of the building. The voice of passion must be used wisely I guess. I couldn't figure out how to upload my video, but I had a short clip of above mentioned interaction. I did however see this video on youtube that demonstrates people's passion on the issue of health care: http://pol.moveon.org/healthcare_cantwait/?rc=fb.7

Meeting up with my folks after the meeting and further discussing our thoughts over dinner, my dad jokingly said something to the effect of “if you ever wondered who was the 20% of Americans who thought Bush was still doing well after his term, ½ if them were in our town hall meeting.”